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Sad lion story: Cub died in Nuremberg Zoo
An Asian lion cub was born in the Nuremberg Zoo, but the cub died tragically after a few days.
Sad lion story: Cub died in Nuremberg Zoo
There is sad news in Nuremberg Zoo: On the night of August 7th to 8th, 2025, an Asiatic lion saw the light of day, but only for a short time. The offspring of lioness Aarany and cat Kiron did not survive long, which caused great disappointment among the zookeepers and visitors. Reports from Nuremberg Zoo It is believed that the mother lion, Aarany, ate her young son, an unusual but not rare behavior among lion mothers, especially those who are inexperienced.
The average gestation period for lions is 110 days, and Aarany and Kiron mated about three months ago. In the first few days after the birth, signs of the young lion's life could still be seen on a camera in the whelping box. However, on August 9th, the cub was separated from its parents as a precautionary measure. Aarany was last observed nursing on August 10th. After that, the cub remained missing, and on August 13, zookeepers found no remains.
Survival chances and breeding programs
Asiatic lions are among the highly endangered species whose conservation is also important in zoos. According to the IUCN, in 2017 there were only about 630 animals left in Gir National Park in India. This population is considered stable, but growth is severely limited by conflicts with local populations and habitat loss. As part of a European conservation breeding program (EEP), around 130 Asiatic lions are kept in 41 EAZA zoos. In Nuremberg they hope that Aarany and Kiron will mate again soon in order to increase the chances of successfully raising young animals.
The predator house in the zoo has been open to visitors again since August 14, 2025. It will be interesting to see whether Aarany and Kiron will soon start the next chapter of their lion parenthood. In the meantime, their older son Jadoo continues to live in the zoo, while his sister Indica has already moved to the Łódź Zoo.
For zoos and nature lovers, such setbacks in the reproductive process represent a challenge that is addressed with a lot of patience and hope. The maintenance of general breeding programs plays an extremely important role in order to provide the best possible support for the endangered species in the future.