LIONS AS PETS

Evening Star, Issue 18852, 29 January 1925, Page 2

LIONS AS PETS

A MAYOR’S STRANGE HOBBY, TINT BABY CUBS. YOUTHFUL FIGHTERS, Of (lie, large carnivora., such as lion?, tigers, leopards, and jaguars, lions breed most freely in captivity, and, as a rule, lion cubs are the most successfully reared (says Air O. Tyrwhitt-Drake, Mayor of Maidstone, in a London newspaper). Nevertheless, many interesting points about lions and their cubs dr, not- seem to have bee,n recorded, at anv rate for the benefit of the general animal-loving public. A, lion is polygamous. A lioness in captivity will have one litter of nibs n year : and reliable cases are on record of a lioness having reared two Jit to* in a year. The number of rubs in a lifter varies from one to eight, the usual being three to five.

A litter of eight is very exceptional—l ■only knew of one case, and that was in ! a (ravelling show. An. old lioness usuallv ! has but one nth in her (wo or three last, litters. Tfc will probably surprise mo«tpeople to know that at. birth a normal lion cub weighs only from 2jlb to 21b 1007,, and is smaller than an ordinary wild rabbit. When it is remembered that a full-grown lion of six years may weigh up to 50011) this fact seems all the more, remarkable. Another curious fact about linn cubs--a point in which they differ from kittens - is that, if strong, they are born with theneyes open. It they are .somewhat weakly the eyes, though closed at birth, will open within throe or four days. The domestic kitten’s eyes do not open for ten days. It would naturally be supposed that, as lions come from comparatively warm climates, cubs born in England between October and April would require artificial heat. Not a hit. of it ! Cold seems to have no effect on them provided they are in a den which is dry and free from draughts. The last litter but one that was bred in my menagerie was born in a cage made out of an old cowshed and open at. the front, on December 15, 1923. The next day 16de.g of frost wore registered, and the cubs took no harm. They had no bedding beyond thick sawdust. Personally, for safety’s sake, I never distrub the mother by attempting to look at her cubs until they are at least ten days old. Otherwise, even if she does not kill them, she will become restless and probably seize one cub by the scruff or lbs neck and carry it about, the cage for a considerable time—much too long, at any rate, to do it any good. It is commonly supposed that linn cubs liorn in captivity, and therefore seeing people when n few days old, are naturally far less afraid of, and much more ammo able to human beings than wild-bred ones are. Nothing is further removed from fact. Alenagorie-hred linn cubs, reared by their own mother, are much more savaae and nervous than wild-bred cubs winch are taken from their mother when a few days old and brought, up either by hand or by a foster-mother such as a dog or goat. If a menagerie-bred cub is handled when ten days old it will hiss, spit, and often strike with its ridiculously tiny paws as if tho person holding it was its most dangerous enemy. This fact, I suppose, must ho put down to its hundreds of generations of forefathers bred in a wild state.

Once a cub has passed its fourth day it is fairly certain, barring accidents, to thrive until it is weaned. Personally, T prefer to leave mbs with their mother until they are, four or five months old. I have had to wean them at seven weeks, but that is too early. Weaning is always a. trying time with all voting animals, but especially with lion cubs, which are nervous anri excitable. The last and final troubles of cubhood. which may be reckoned to cease at two to two a.nd a-half years, is teething (casting of the milk teeth and getting the permanent sotl. This begins at fifteen to twenty months and lasts four to six months. With a youngster that, has done fa.irlv well no great trouble need bo an ticipated, hut with weakly specimens teething causes fits which often prove fatal.

When it is considered that, a good lionoss is to-day worth from £9O to £l5O, and a fine, big, well-maned lion up to £3OO. the “ game is worth the candle.” even if the owner’s hair turns grey at an when it ought still to be raven black !