Its a Boy and a Boy and a Boy and a Girl!

Racine Zoo Announces Sexes of Lion Cubs

The Racine Zoo is pleased to announce the four Transvaal lion cubs born on Thursday, September 6 are three males and one female. The three males weigh 6.1 kilograms, 6.4 kilograms and 6.3 kilograms. The female weighs 5.4 kilograms. The cubs and their mother, Elsa, continue to make daily progress in hitting appropriate benchmarks for growth and development.

" We are really lucky, " said Eric Hileman, Director of Conservation, Education, and Animal Welfare at the Racine Zoo, " Four cubs is above average. And for the first time Mom, Elsa, to care for them in the manner that she has is truly remarkable. We continue to remain cautiously optimistic because we are still dealing with wild animals and their instinctual behaviors. "

The cubs spend their days romping and playing. The tackle each other, bite each other and participate in general horseplay. These activities help to develop their coordination and build their natural tendencies for prey acquisition and surviving in the wild. Elsa does not participate in the play yet, but she does monitor their activities, nurses them and spends time grooming each of the cubs daily.

The lion cubs will go on exhibit to the general public on Saturday, November 10 at 10:00 am. However, Zoo members will get the first glimpse of the cubs at the Members Only Sneak Peek Event presented by Johnson Bank from 9:00 am to 10:00 am in the Vanishing Kingdom Historic Building on Zoo campus.

Elsa and Aslan, the four cubs mother and father were brought to the Racine Zoo in November 2008 with the intent that they would one day mate. As a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Racine Zoo participates in several Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs to help ensure the survival of many wildlife species. Each SSP manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a healthy and sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable. The Racine Zoo is open daily.

Hours between Labor Day and Memorial Day are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The winter admission price, starting November 1, is 2 dollars for adults, 1 dollar for children 3-15, 1 dollar and fifty cents for seniors. Zoo members and children under three are free. The mission of the Racine Zoological Society is to foster an enlightening and affordable wildlife experience that improves the bond between people and nature. The Society will provide for the recreation and education of the people, the conservation of wildlife and wild places, and the advancement of science.

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