South African lion cubs born via artificial insemination in good health

In a first for the species, two lion cubs have been born via non-surgical artificial insemination using fresh semen collected from an adult male lion, according to firstpost.com.

Two lion cubs born via non-surgical artificial insemination using fresh semen collected from an adult male lion, pictured in South Africa on November 21, 2018. [Photo: IC]

The project team at the University of Pretoria said that it took 18 months before they had their first success using the breeding technique. The two lions, which were born on August 25, are reportedly in perfect health.

The African lion is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The lion population in South Africa is slowly growing thanks to national and private nature reserves, but in the rest of the world, the number of the iconic big cats is declining.

Two lion cubs born via non-surgical artificial insemination using fresh semen collected from an adult male lion, pictured in South Africa on November 21, 2018. [Photo: IC]

The global population of lions in the year 1800 was estimated to be 1.2 million. It has since fallen by 98 percent.