The photo above shows Libby, a brand new lion cub at Blair Drummond, this photo is from the Express website linked below.
For the first time in a decade there is now a lion cub at Blair Drummond. Possibly the only Safari Park to have a gap that long in breeding lions, something that I think should be praised not given to dissapointment. Blair Drummond being one of the three original Safari Parks has had no shortage of lions throughout its years. In the last ten years many cubs have been born from the other British Safari Parks;
- Longleat have had cubs from two different males Kabir and most recently Nibalo.
- Woburn have had cubs from their two previous pride males Sly and Shane.
- West Midlands have had plenty of cubs from their Pride.
- Knowsley have had many cubs to their male lion Kenya.
These cubs have gone to many other zoological establishments and have started off many of the other breeding groups for example Woburn and West Midland lions are now housed at Whipsnade, Africa Alive! and Linton, with their descendants now at Linton, Combe Martin and Newquay.
So with this background what can be said for Blair Drummonds new female cub Libby.
Libby was born last September, her father Dudley was born at Longleat and was one of the cubs born to Kabir, Dudley's brother Wallace is the resident lion at Blackpool Zoo. Her mother Teekay is a resident Blair Drummond lioness and could even be part of the last lions born at the Park ten years ago.
The pictures above came from the Express website.
The links below show pictures of Libby and Dudley in recent news articles.
To me however the attitude of Blair Drummond is the right one, instead of trying to match up to other Safari Parks in the last decade pumping out lion cubs every year, which may not even have a home to go to considering the UK is pretty full of lions, they have held back and kept a stable pride. And a stable pride is what they have with seven lionesses and one male lion, the situation and Blair Drummond is bound to be a happy one, with no castrated males for the resident leader to have problems with, and no fights for leadership between males, the arrival of Libby would be the one extra thing that it needed.
Blair Drummond seem to have a completely different attitude to breeding matched to those other Safari Parks, and a lack of lion breeding is a huge sign of this, so lets hope that Blair Drummond keep a stable pride and don't over do it. The blood line that Dudley represents is already well represented from his father Kabir, it is still at Longleat now that his sisters have had cubs to their new male Nibalo. The cubs born at Blackpool to his brother Wallace, are to by a Blair Drummond lioness, so Libbys blood line will not be an entirely brand new one. However a new generation is what Blair Drummond needed.
I hope you all enjoy the photos on the links,
James.
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