There seems to of been a major downturn in the past few years regarding the breeding of Asiatic Lions in the UK. In the past year only 1:2 cubs have been born in two seperete litters. These were at...
London 1:1 - June 2009
Chessington 0:1 - born October 09 and died a few weeks later.
Current UK holders...
Edinburgh - 1:2
Royal (m) born at Helsinki in May 2000
Gita (f) Born August 1997 at Chester
Kamlesh (f) (sister to Gita)
Cubs were born to both females in 2006. Kamlesh had 1:1 cubs on 21/4/06 and Gita also 1:1 on 17/5/06. They haven't bred again since the cubs left in 2008. Time is running out if they want another litter from them.
Chester - 1:1
Iblis (m) - born September 2007 at Plankendael. Came to Chester in Febuary 2010.
Asha (f) - born 4/6/98 at Paignton
Asha bred three times with Chester's previous male Asoka (he moved to Rome in Febuary 10). Her first litter was stillborn, second litter was 2:0 in August 07 and they were handreared although one didn't make it. The surviving cub (Tejas) moved to France aged 6 months and is doing well. She had a third litter of 1:0 in August 08. Charkra as he was named was later found to have genetic problems and was put down in January 09. Fingers crossed that she and Iblis will have a litter before she becomes too old.
Bristol - 1:1
Kamal (m) born in late 90's at Helsinki. Came to Bristol in early 2008 from Twycross.
Moti (f) born 1994 at Helsinki.
Moti bred with Chandra the previous male in 1998. She had 1:1 cubs on
15/8/98 named Indi (f) and Daca (m). Chandra was found to be infertile in 2007 and he moved on to make way for Kamal to try and breed with Moti again. Unfortunatly Moti was later found to be post-reproductive making the male swap a complete waste of time. There are currently no plans to try and breed again until one or both of the current cats die.
Cotswold's Wildlife Park - 1:2
Chandra (m) born 1994 at Chester. Came from Bristol in early 2008.
Akela (f) born 1994 at Helsinki. Cotswold's former breeding female.
Gir (f) born 1994 at Helsinki. Came from Dudley in November 09
All three have previously bred but are now retired and there are no current plans for Cotswold's to start breeding again.
Chessington - 1:1
Ashok (m) born 1997 at Chester.
Kalinga (f) came from Terra Natura in Benidorm in 2005?
Ashok bred with the previous female Devika several years ago. The cubs were fine upto 15 months old. One had a fit and died. The remaining two were found to the have the same problem and were put down. Devika died not long after. She was replaced by Kalinga. Kalinga and Ashok had a single female cub in October 2009. She sadly died aged just a few weeks.
Dudley - 1:2
Itar (m) born September 2007 at Plankendael.
Asha (f) born May 2006 at Edinburgh
Kyra (f) born April 2006 at Edinburgh
Itar arrived at Dudley in April 2009 as a replacement for Dudley's previous male Max who died in 2008. In November 09 the previous breeding female Gir retired to Cotswold's Wildlife Park as she was post-reproductive. On 17/11/09 Asha and Kyra were moved to Dudley from Twycross as new mates for Itar. Despite holding the studbook Twycross have now gone out of lions until they can build a new exibit for them in years to come. Asha and Kyra will hopefully both breed with Itar in the near future.
London - 2:2
Lucifer (m) born 2002 at Cotswold's Wildlife Park
Abi (f) born 1999 at London
Rubi (f) and Gabriel (m) born June 2009 at London
Rubi and Gabriel are the first surviving Asiatic lion cubs to be born in the UK since 2007. Prior to this London didn't have a successful litter for 10 years! Lucifer came to London in 2004 from Cotswold's.
Paignton - 1:1
Mwamba (m) born 2004 at Twycross
Indu (f) born 3/10/03 at Paignton
Mwamba was moved to Paignton from Twycross in August 2006. Not a single cub has been born since.
Possible solutions...
Kamal (currently at Bristol) goes to Paignton to try and breed with Indu. Mwamba is his son. Ashok (currently at Chessington) retires to Bristol as he has never sired a single cub without genetic problems. Mwamba (at Paignton) then goes to Chessington to see if he can sire cubs with Kalinga.
Please correct me if I have made any errors.
London 1:1 - June 2009
Chessington 0:1 - born October 09 and died a few weeks later.
Current UK holders...
Edinburgh - 1:2
Royal (m) born at Helsinki in May 2000
Gita (f) Born August 1997 at Chester
Kamlesh (f) (sister to Gita)
Cubs were born to both females in 2006. Kamlesh had 1:1 cubs on 21/4/06 and Gita also 1:1 on 17/5/06. They haven't bred again since the cubs left in 2008. Time is running out if they want another litter from them.
Chester - 1:1
Iblis (m) - born September 2007 at Plankendael. Came to Chester in Febuary 2010.
Asha (f) - born 4/6/98 at Paignton
Asha bred three times with Chester's previous male Asoka (he moved to Rome in Febuary 10). Her first litter was stillborn, second litter was 2:0 in August 07 and they were handreared although one didn't make it. The surviving cub (Tejas) moved to France aged 6 months and is doing well. She had a third litter of 1:0 in August 08. Charkra as he was named was later found to have genetic problems and was put down in January 09. Fingers crossed that she and Iblis will have a litter before she becomes too old.
Bristol - 1:1
Kamal (m) born in late 90's at Helsinki. Came to Bristol in early 2008 from Twycross.
Moti (f) born 1994 at Helsinki.
Moti bred with Chandra the previous male in 1998. She had 1:1 cubs on
15/8/98 named Indi (f) and Daca (m). Chandra was found to be infertile in 2007 and he moved on to make way for Kamal to try and breed with Moti again. Unfortunatly Moti was later found to be post-reproductive making the male swap a complete waste of time. There are currently no plans to try and breed again until one or both of the current cats die.
Cotswold's Wildlife Park - 1:2
Chandra (m) born 1994 at Chester. Came from Bristol in early 2008.
Akela (f) born 1994 at Helsinki. Cotswold's former breeding female.
Gir (f) born 1994 at Helsinki. Came from Dudley in November 09
All three have previously bred but are now retired and there are no current plans for Cotswold's to start breeding again.
Chessington - 1:1
Ashok (m) born 1997 at Chester.
Kalinga (f) came from Terra Natura in Benidorm in 2005?
Ashok bred with the previous female Devika several years ago. The cubs were fine upto 15 months old. One had a fit and died. The remaining two were found to the have the same problem and were put down. Devika died not long after. She was replaced by Kalinga. Kalinga and Ashok had a single female cub in October 2009. She sadly died aged just a few weeks.
Dudley - 1:2
Itar (m) born September 2007 at Plankendael.
Asha (f) born May 2006 at Edinburgh
Kyra (f) born April 2006 at Edinburgh
Itar arrived at Dudley in April 2009 as a replacement for Dudley's previous male Max who died in 2008. In November 09 the previous breeding female Gir retired to Cotswold's Wildlife Park as she was post-reproductive. On 17/11/09 Asha and Kyra were moved to Dudley from Twycross as new mates for Itar. Despite holding the studbook Twycross have now gone out of lions until they can build a new exibit for them in years to come. Asha and Kyra will hopefully both breed with Itar in the near future.
London - 2:2
Lucifer (m) born 2002 at Cotswold's Wildlife Park
Abi (f) born 1999 at London
Rubi (f) and Gabriel (m) born June 2009 at London
Rubi and Gabriel are the first surviving Asiatic lion cubs to be born in the UK since 2007. Prior to this London didn't have a successful litter for 10 years! Lucifer came to London in 2004 from Cotswold's.
Paignton - 1:1
Mwamba (m) born 2004 at Twycross
Indu (f) born 3/10/03 at Paignton
Mwamba was moved to Paignton from Twycross in August 2006. Not a single cub has been born since.
Possible solutions...
Kamal (currently at Bristol) goes to Paignton to try and breed with Indu. Mwamba is his son. Ashok (currently at Chessington) retires to Bristol as he has never sired a single cub without genetic problems. Mwamba (at Paignton) then goes to Chessington to see if he can sire cubs with Kalinga.
Please correct me if I have made any errors.
