Lion cubs make their debut at Jambu Zoo in Jammu

Kutki and Bhunki, the first lion cubs of the Jambu Zoo here, were exhibited to the public almost three months after they were born, a zoo official said on Saturday.

The three-month old Asiatic Lion cubs, born on March 5 to their parents brought from Gujarat after the inauguration of the zoo, were displayed two days back at an event marking its second anniversary, he said.

One of the largest in north India, the 163 hectares Jambu Zoo in the Shivalik foothills was opened to the public on May 29, 2023, attracting more than five lakh visitors in the past two years.

The foundation stone of the zoo was laid at Nagrota on the outskirts of the city along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in September 2016 aiming to make it a major attraction for animal lovers and tourists.

He said the cubs became the major attraction for the visitors on May 29 as this was for the first time that the Lion offsprings were on display.

The other attractions included a live snake show and display of live Brandt’s Hedgehog, a new discovery for India, the official said. Two of the Hedgehogs were recovered in Rajouri district last year.

The zoo boasts of 21 enclosures housing a variety of species, including lions, tigers, common leopards, Himalayan black bear, brown bear, spotted deer, hog deer, and barking deer.

It also houses sambhar, black buck, goral, crocodile, gharial, porcupine, wild boar, snake species, emu, pheasants, leopard cat, jungle cat and civet cat.