By: Sarah V Schweig/The Dodo “This is a true sign that she feels safe.”
When rescuers arrived at the war-torn ruins of a zoo in Aleppo, Syria, to save the last surviving animals there, they rushed to get the animals loaded into crates and back across borders to sanctuaries in Turkey and Jordan.
And it turns out that, for one lioness named Dana, it was incredibly important they arrived when they did.
Four Paws
Many of the animals at the zoo, Aalim al-Sahar, or The Magic World, had died as war raged in the city. Last month, rescuers from Four Paws International coordinated entry into Aleppo to save the lives of tigers, bears, lions, dogs and hyenas.
Dana was brought to the Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife sanctuary in Jordan. And almost as soon as she arrived, she went into labor.
Four Paws
Four Paws
“Less than 12 hours after our arrival in Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife the lioness Dana went into labor,” Four Paws wrote on Facebook on Sunday. “She fortunately gave birth to a baby cub!!!”
The tiny baby with white fur was named Hajar, which means “immigrant” in Arabic.
Four Paws
The rescue team, which had discovered via ultrasound that Dana was pregnant, had been concerned about what impact the stress of the relocation and rescue would have on the pregnancy. Sometimes, when moms are under extreme stress, cubs don’t make it.
“Our team on site was very concerned about whether the lioness would accept the cub or kill it, as this is what lions sometimes do when they are under enormous stress,” the organization wrote. “But luckily that wasn’t the case. She cleaned the cub and nursed it. This is a true sign that she feels safe at Al Ma’wa.”
Four Paws
After all that she’s been through, it seems Dana’s luck couldn’t get any better. Except for one thing.
An ultrasound two weeks ago appeared to show two cubs in Dana’s womb. So there could be more good news coming.
Four Paws.
UPDATE about lioness Dana and her baby:Yesterday, we made the big announcement that the lioness, who we rescued from the zoo near Aleppo, welcomed a new, healthy baby into the world! After the long and exhausting journey from Syria to Jordan, it seems that she waited until she was in a safe place to finally give birth. We are more than happy that everything went well, and the lioness takes good care of her newly born baby in her new home at Al Ma'wa for Nature and Wildlife. Ultrasound examination two weeks ago, showed that she is expecting two cubs, so stay tuned for more news.
Posted by FOUR PAWS International on Monday, August 14, 2017
