THE BREEDING OF LIONS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 19 August 1916, Page 4

THE BREEDING OF LIONS.

The recent birth of a litter of lion cubs in the Scottish Zoological Gardens is one of the most interesting occurrences that has taken place there, either regarded by itself or as forming the first of a probable succession of similar events. In captivity the lion seems to breed by far the most freety of the large cats, or, indeed, of any of the wild cats, and litters are produced not only in established zoological gardens, but also quite frequently in travelling menageries, though some institutions are much less successful than others in this matter, owing, probably to their being something essential lack ing in situation or treatment. The institution which ha s been successful far beyond all others in the breeding of ilons is the Zoological Garden ar Dublin, which has become famous for its “lion industry,” as it has been termed, and derives a considerable financial benfit from it.

Dublin has sent lions, not only to collections in Europe and America, but even to regions as remote as India, Burmah, and Australia, and there arc two of them at Corstorphine—a generous gift from the Zoological Society or Ireland. The fount and origin of tne Dublin strain of lions was a pair imported from Natal in 1855, which produced their first young (a single cub) in 1857. The stock was increased, am? new blood has been introduced from time to time, and the breeding has con tinned with occasional periods of greater or less success, but on the whole with great regularity, down to the present time. The number of young produced at one time varies from one to six, or, some say, as many as eight. In the experience of Dublin, six is the maximum for a litter and the number most frequently produced is four. The tendency seems to be for a young lion ess to produce a smaller number of cubs in her first litter, the number increasing as her breeding period advances, and declines towards its close. One lioness in Dublin gave birth during a period of thirteen years to fiftyfive cubs.