Lion Update: Etosha and M'bari
Posted at 11:11 am November 30, 2006 by Marcia ReddingI know many folks have been waiting for news of Etosha and M'bari, the pair of lions that currently live in the original lion exhibit at the Wild Animal Park. As many of you know, Etosha has a history of having difficulty in delivering her cubs. Her first pregnancy resulted in a caesarian section. Sadly, once again, her latest pregnancy did not end well.
About three weeks ago, she delivered one stillborn cub, following a seemingly normal labor progression. We watched her closely for the next few days, continuing with our 9 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. checks, to make sure she had recovered normally. While she never showed any sign of illness, the decision was made to anesthetize her to give her a complete checkup. A retained placenta or fetus could be a serious threat to her health; as well, the vets were able look for any possible cause of her dystocia (difficult or complicated birth). An ultrasound exam revealed that there were no more cubs, and that her internal organs all looked normal. Blood samples were taken, and these proved to be normal also.
In a day or two, Etosha was back to her usual playful self, happy to be back with her mate. Etosha had been separated from M'bari by an introduction screen a few days before she was due to give birth, as females do not allow males to be near them while in this vulnerable state. M'bari, however, stuck close by her all through her pregnancy and for much of her labor; she began to be intolerant of his presence only when her labor reached its final stages, and we then separated them completely. As soon as it became clear that Etosha's labor had ended, M'bari was back by her side. She was very glad to see her mate, and there was much affectionate grooming and play a few days later when they were back together in the big exhibit.
At this time, we have no explanation for Etosha's difficulties. We will watch her closely, and will briefly separate her from M'bari during her cycle, which usually lasts a few days. We need to prevent her from becoming pregnant again too soon. A decision may be made to implant a contraceptive device under her skin; this is a simple procedure and is completely reversable.
The good news is that Etosha feels great, behaves normally, and is enjoying life as she should. Look for her and M'bari from the Wgasa Bush Line Railway tour, or from the viewing platform next to the exhibit. They alternate exhibit days with Rengat, a Sumatran tiger who shares the exhibit with them.
Now some really good news for you lion fans. I know that many of you have requested more pictures of our lions. By popular request, our wonderful Web site editor has prepared a fantastic photo gallery featuring our two litters of cubs and their parents at various stages in their lives. These are some of the best lion photos I have ever seen - they are truly a delight to see, and are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Check them out - you'll be glad you did!
A brief Lion Camp update - our two litters of cubs are now on exhibit on alternating days. Switching the groups at midday has proven to be somewhat stressful for the lions. Izu, the male, will spend time with the group that is on exhibit that day. So far this has worked out very well. Whenever you visit, you'll be sure to see a contented pride at Lion Camp. With the cooler weather, all the lions have been very active and playful, especially in the morning. Come out and see them soon!
Marcia Redding is a senior mammal keeper at the Wild Animal Park.
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November 30th, 2006 at 11:39 am
Thanks for the update Marcia. We are all sad to hear of the stillborn birth, but happy that Etosha has recovered quickly and is happy to be back with M'Bari. It sounds like he is also a very patient and attentive mate. Hopefully one day next year things will work out better, and Etosha will finally be able to give birth to one or more healthy cubs. Then Izu can have some healthy competition for " Daddy lion of the Year." It is also good to hear that all the stress of birth and loss has not had a negative impact on Etosha's overall physical and mental health. You have some very special lions in your care that is for sure. I hope to make it out to see them sometime soon.
Does the previous caesarian section have any lasting effect on Etosha's ability to deliver a cub? It sounds like that is not the case. It had not prevented her from becoming pregnant, and it sounds like it must have been something else that causes her delivery difficulties.
Thanks to all Etosha and M'bari's keepers and veterinary staff for taking such pains to work them through these crises.
November 30th, 2006 at 12:08 pm
Thanks for the update Marcia. Too bad it wasn't more happy news. You talk about separating Etosha from M'Bari during her cycle, how frequently does that happen? Are lionesses like humans and cycle monthly or is it more random or further apart, like quarterly? Also does nursing cubs prevent Mina and Oshana from cycling or how soon could they become fertile again, if they aren't already? Sorry to pester you with so many questions, but none of the literatue I've looked at has been very helpful.
November 30th, 2006 at 12:09 pm
I feel so sad for Etosha - but I'm glad that she has M'bari to comfort her. They sound like a very loving pair. Hopefully, one day, she will be able to have a litter of her own. And a big thank you for the extraordinary photos of the cubs - they are amazingly beautiful. What a joy to look at - which I did, over and over again. Thanks so much for the updates - sad and happy.
November 30th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
Thank you for the update, Marcia. Sorry the news wasn't better, but glad Etosha is okay. The picture gallery is wonderful!
November 30th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
What a glorious photo gallery! And thanks for the captions. They are truly a treat.
November 30th, 2006 at 6:17 pm
Thanks for the update Marcia. As always your love for these beautiful animals show through in your detailed accounts. Best of luck for Etosha next time!! Thankfully she has such a loving mate; what a sweetie M'bari is.
And THANK YOU so much for the amazing photo gallery. Those are indeed some of the best lion photos I've ever seen. They portray the cubs' growth and beauty perfectly.
December 1st, 2006 at 6:36 am
Marcia, thank you for the updates. Sorry to hear about Etosha; it is so sad that she lost her cub. We all were so looking forward to seeing a little cub for her and M'bari, they seem to really care about each other. I will keep my fingers crossed and pray that Etosha will be able to deliver a healthy cub one day soon and everyone will be fine.
Also, thank you for the great pictures from the lion camp families. They are great. I also have some really good pictures of the families. I could watch them every day if I could; they change every day and are always doing something different. The photo gallery is truly a glorious presentation and I will look at it every day when I get home in the afternoons from work.
December 2nd, 2006 at 6:49 am
These are indeed fantastic pictures of the two litters! I enjoy seeing the cubs roaming around, and how Izu calmly allowed his cubs to interact and play with him. Thanks for posting the photos on the web!
December 4th, 2006 at 7:20 pm
Is there a schedule as to which family is on exhibit which days?
December 9th, 2006 at 11:36 pm
Marcia,
I saw M'Bari today at Cat Canyon but Etosha didn't seem to be on exhibit. Is everything okay or was it just a time when she needed to be separated to prevent conception? Thanks.
December 11th, 2006 at 6:52 pm
Lion Keepers,
For those of us who adore ALL of those darling cubbies and also love the adult lions, can you post the schedule of who is on exhibit on which day? That would be very helpful! Thanks very much! The latest photo video is really cute — Seems like you have 2 great lion families that have adjusted very nicely. Let's hope that continues.
December 12th, 2006 at 6:54 pm
Jennifer, if you saw M'bari outside without Etosha, this probably is the reason. I've been off for a few days, so couldn't say for sure. Another thought - Etosha and M'bari are not always together while out in the exhibit. Many times we call them in to the house, and they come from opposite ends of the exhibit. There are lots of hiding places….maybe she was using one of them!
Deb, I wish we could post a routine exhibit schedule for the Lion Camp pride, but very likely we would not be able to stick to it on a regular basis. Many factors can influence which group is outside; for instance, last week Mandisa, Mina's female cub, injured her leg (probably playing too hard). To help her heal, we needed to restrict her activity level for awhile. Unfortunately, the only place we can do this is inside the house, and if she's in, her whole family has to be as well. I can say that we are no longer switching groups on exhibit mid day. Whoever is out in the a.m. is out all day. Under normal circumstances, Izu will be outside with whichever group is on exhibit. Sorry I couldn't help with this, but I'd hate to post a schedule and then have to stray from it and disappoint someone. One thing you can be sure of - you'll see beautiful lions whenever you visit!
December 15th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
That's too bad about Etosha. When will you let her breed again? Also, when will Mina and Oshana with their cubs and Izu be on exhibit together?
December 15th, 2006 at 5:21 pm
Jack, Etosha's situation is being discussed, but no decision has yet been made. Most likely we would want to hold off at least until next spring. We would love to have all the cubs, both females and Izu on exhibit together, but we have no timetable as yet. We can't begin the process until Mandisa's leg is 100%. I will be sure to post any future developments. Sorry I don't have more answers for you!
December 17th, 2006 at 7:46 pm
I was wondering… Is it more likely that Etosha will fail her next litter because of her other bad litters? Is M'bari surprised when Etosha meets him with no cubs? Is Etosha sad when both of her litters ended in disaster? If she has a 3rd litter and fails, then will you prevent her from having more cubs?
December 18th, 2006 at 11:34 am
Marcia,
Thanks for the update on Mandisa. Hopefully her leg is healing well.
Are you getting the two litters and their mothers accustomed to each other at the greeting screen yet? I read a few weeks ago that plans were moving in that direction. If so, how are the mothers taking to the other cubs presence? How fond were they of each other before they each had cubs? Do they have to " work out" which is the dominant female all over again? Does the number of cubs in their litter factor into the dominance? Can you tell if Izu acts any differently toward either set of cubs? Would the age of Oshana's cubs make him more able to " play" rougher with them?
December 19th, 2006 at 11:11 am
Jack, thanks for your questions - I understand your concern about Etosha and M'bari. Animals do not respond to these events in the same way people do - Etosha did not become depressed after her unsuccessful pregnancy. Most likely, M'bari was not aware that Etosha was expecting cubs. When they were reunited after the brief separation, they greeted each other normally and resumed their routine of playing, grooming and napping together. We are still trying to discover the reason for Etosha's reproductive difficulties - hopefully in the future she will be able to have a healthy litter. The important thing is that she and M'bari are happy and content with each other!
Margaret, we have not yet begun introducing the two litters and moms. Mandisa's injury has put this on the back burner for now. Mina and Oshana got along well together when they were younger. I shouldn't think that the number of cubs in each litter would matter - in the wild, females nurse each other's cubs as well as their own. It's possible that there could be some conflict at first, but we won't know for sure until the day comes. Izu seems to interact with all his cubs the same way, we haven't seen any difference with the two litters. We'll just have to wait and see what happens!
December 19th, 2006 at 1:43 pm
Marcia, Thanks for the great explanation of the interaction of the adults with each other and the cubs. It is interesting that mothers nurse their own and other's cubs. That would definitely help the survival rate, especially if something happened to the cubs of one female, another would be there to help the cub survive. It sounds like the females in the pride pool their resources to hunt and care for young, similar to the way that I have seen the female elephants roles described.
I find it so fascinating to read these blogs and learn so much from first hand accounts that I would never encounter personally. Thanks for taking time from your busy schedule and duties caring for the animals to answer our questions and educate us.
Happy Holidays.
December 19th, 2006 at 7:49 pm
I was wondering if you could post photos of Etosha and M'bari ?
January 2nd, 2007 at 11:59 am
How are Etosha and M'bari? How long till Etosha comes into heat again?
January 6th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
How is Mandisa coming along with her injury. Hopefully over the holidays she got rested and it is doing better.
Are Oshana and cubs still out on exhibit at night for the Festival of Lights? It sounded like a great time for everyone, and definitely a great enrichment opportunity for the cubs.
February 7th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Please Please Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tell me if Etosha is pregnant again. I really want to know !!!!!!!!!!!! If she's not pregnant then when will she become pregnant? Can you write a blog about how Etosha and her mate are doing?
April 4th, 2007 at 5:07 pm
PLEASE HAVE BREEDING PLANS FOR ETOSHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:01 am
If Etosha will not be allowed to breed anymore, please get M'bari another mate that can breed and perhaps supplement Etosha with another companion.