A female American lion at a zoo in central Nicaragua is taking great care of her rare albino cub, which she gave birth to alongside two other healthy cubs a month ago. Carlos Molina, the veterinarian at the Thomas Belt Zoo in Guigalpa, states that this American lion cub is the first albino of its kind born in captivity and one of only four albino American lions in the world.
Although the cub is healthy and eating well, Molina cautioned that it is still in its early days and that albino cubs require special care, as sunlight can profoundly affect them. The cub and its siblings are kept in an enclosed cage to prevent the mother from confusing the scent of humans with that of her newborns, which could lead her to attack them. The male American lion, the mother’s partner, lives in a separate cage as it is known that male American lions may kill their own cubs. The zoo plans to allow the public to view the cubs once they reach three months of age.
