You and me both. Chatting with the keepers after the talk, they were both a little emotional about them leaving. They acknowledged it was in the cubs better interest, but they are also very sad see to them go. Especially with the passing of Jerroh and Lindy, they will be going from 9 lions to 3 in a very short amount of time.
Very nice shot @m30t. I find they rarely group together in the main exhibit cave. Lately they've been hanging out on the secondary heating pad in the second yard, by the glass.
Any word on a time frame of when the cubs are leaving?
Thank you @cypher I noticed Fintan, Makali and one of the cubs on the secondary heating pad earlier in the day.
The keepers did not know when they would be leaving.
I did ask about any plans once they leave, such as bringing in tawny lions. The keepers said they would love for that to happen but they will likely be the last to know of any such plans.
I had heard it was possible they would leave by the end of February. But transports are always subject to change based on training (they all need to be crate trained), separation (they need to be pulled from the pride) and transportation arrangements including the joy of paperwork.
If there are plans for tawnies I think its long term plans. Remember the whites are all young. There is still only one exhibit still. The barn might have space for at least 9 lions but bringing in a second young pride capable of breeding would push space to the limit again. Considering Fintan, Lemon and Makali could live another decade minimum I think the zoo will wait. Plus they didn't seem to have much trouble placing the cubs so I can absolutely see the zoo trying for another litter. If there is just the one pride and they have trouble placing the second litter with males there would be the space to separate them from Fintan. Keepers might not agree. We might not agree. But lets be honest without the panda cubs they will need other cute babies to draw the big crowds, lion cubs are pretty popular and the tigers and cheetahs seem destined not to have cubs.
All good points, TZFan.
The one positive with tawnies is that if they did have cubs, I would assume they would be easier to place than the whites were. But that still would leave them tight for space in the interim.
I have little faith as well in tiger cubs, hopefully there will be some cheetah transfers and that will increase the odds.
I wish we had invested in importing regular African lions in the first place. I like the whites but the conservation value is in the normal lions. Most definitely tawny cubs would be easily placed because the SSP would participate. If they had been from imported parents the cubs would be highly valued and extremely easy to rehome.
Unless something happens to Fintan I cannot see the zoo bringing in tawnies. Even if they did lose Fintan there are enough zoos in Canada breeding whites that he is fairly easy to replace. The question would become do the big wigs want to go back to tawnies. I know the keepers do.
In terms of the tigers, the zoo will keep trying to breed them because research can be done on Kemala and the reversal of her birth control. Cubs dont need to be produced to achieve results. It's not like either tiger is all that important to breed. Hari is pretty much at the bottom of the male list. Kemala is much higher on the female genetic value list but not so high that her not reproducing will ruin things. She has a twin brother who can breed. Besides come 2018 the zoo gets brand new tiger hopes when the new breeding pair of Amurs arrives.
Cheetahs can be extremely hard to breed. With all the tight genetic relationships ours have the odds are low. Frankly transfers are probably not enough to achieve results unless additional males and females arrive. Not just one gender. Imports from Africa would be ideal. New bloodlines which are not related to North American bloodlines would really help.
Our biggest cat hopes should be the snow leopards. Kota is getting up there in years but he's still good.
Love the clouded leopards. Their cubs are gorgeous but we have cousins and I just don't want to allow the inbreeding so if they continue to fail I'm good with that. The SSP recommended the pairing but pairing are hard when they need to be done with whatever was born the same year.
Cougars are out. They are almost never bred in captivity to keep room for orphans.
The lynx are out as well with Ember still rearing the twins.
