Three Asiatic lion cubs born at Fota Wildlife Park are preparing to leave their east Cork home, giving visitors a final chance to see them before their departure in the coming weeks.
The cubs will soon relocate to Wingham Wildlife Park as part of a European conservation programme aimed at protecting the endangered species.
The trio of male cubs — Theo, Rakesh, and Thor — were born in June 2024 to mother Arya and father Yali.
*Their names were chosen after the wildlife park invited members of the public to submit suggestions, allowing visitors to take part in the milestone event.*
Asiatic lions are a distinct subspecies of lion, different from their African relatives. Once found across much of Asia, their numbers declined dramatically due to hunting and habitat loss. Today, the only wild population survives in India’s Gir Forest, where conservation efforts have helped stabilise the species. However, the population remains small, with estimates suggesting only about 500 to 600 Asiatic lions still live in the wild.
Fota Wildlife Park plays an important role in the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria Ex-situ Programme (EEP), which coordinates breeding and population management for more than 500 species across European zoos. The programme aims to maintain healthy, genetically diverse populations of threatened animals while supporting global conservation initiatives.
As part of this programme, the three cubs will move to Wingham Wildlife Park, where they will continue to contribute to the managed breeding population. Their relocation is a routine part of ensuring genetic diversity within the species across zoological institutions.
Fota Wildlife Park will also be saying goodbye to another special resident , Jai, the only Indian rhinoceros ever born in Ireland.
Jai was born in September 2022 to parents Maya and Jamil after a 16-month gestation period. In the year of his birth, he was one of just six Indian rhinoceros calves born in zoological institutions worldwide.
Jai is now set to move to Edinburgh Zoo as part of the same EEP conservation programme. The Indian rhinoceros is currently listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with an estimated 3,300 individuals remaining in the wild across India and Nepal.
Through its participation in international breeding and conservation programmes, Fota Wildlife Park continues to support efforts to safeguard endangered species and help ensure their survival for future generations.
