Two lion puppies suppressed at the Cologne Zoo: “We opted for euthanasia, the mother refused to look at them”

At the Cologne Zootwo Asian lion puppiesa male and a female, were born at the beginning of last week. Unfortunately, however, we are not here to tell you a story with a happy ending, on the contrary. In fact, their life was interrupted abruptly before they could grow.

The mother, the lioness Gina, has refused to deal with itforcing the managers of the structure to make the most difficult decision. After days of attempts aimed at promoting the maternal bond, the two children, already weakened, have been suppressed to avoid further suffering.

The behavior of the lioness and the rules of nature

Despite veterinary care, separation from other larger puppies and constant observation, Gina has shown a strong interest only for the offspring born in January 2024consisting of three puppies again.

This behavior has not been considered anomalous, but consistent with the natural instinct of the feline, which favors the care of the litter with greater probability of survival. In nature, in fact, feline mothers instinctively select puppies on which to invest time and energy, based on their physical conditions and the possibilities of growing and becoming independent. Premature or weak litters have scarce chance of doing it also in the wild.

Euthanasia as the last option and the choice to avoid hand breeding

Euthanasia has been practiced following the veterinary guidelines and the indications of the European program for conservation of the Asian lion. Furthermore, it was decided immediately to Avoid manual breedingwhich would have led the puppies to develop a distorted bond with the human being, compromising theirs socialization and the possibility of correct insertion in the herds.

The contradiction of life in captivity

The story of the two puppies raise a wider reflection on Life in captivity in the zoo. If on the one hand these structures claim to play an important role in the protection of threatened specieson the other hand they put animals in a unnatural contextoften too far from theirs spontaneous behavior.

The decisions taken by the Cologne Zoo, even if described as responsible by the staff, raised a fuss of controversy and cancel the moral dilemma that accompanies the breeding of wild animals in captivity. It is possible, and above all right, reproduce nature within fenceshowever wide and equipped? And what remains of instinct, free will and animal social complexity in a context regulated by human intervention?