Asiatic lions at Helsinki Zoo

CC - what a great day you had and how brilliant, it sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing with us.

Lai

I am so happy that you guys understand how important this visit was to me!
I know some people would just think "So what"...

About the questions we asked: for example we asked about the lion cubs' death in 2011.
The curator told us that it is still uncertain what caused their illness. They had discovered that the cubs suffered from lack of vitamin A and some other which I don't remember (E or D). In addition to that, they found a virus from the both cubs' brains. The research continues...

Do I have pictures of the snow leopards? Please don't ask me how many!
I will post them in the Snow Leopard thread, hopefully tomorrow. I also have some news of the Amur tigers...

Here I want to show you two pictures with no animals in them - the zoo was so beautiful on Saturday!

This one is a view from the lions' enclosure down to the quay. In summertime you can come to the zoo by boat, it is about 20 minutes' trip from Helsinki city centre.



The zoo was open longer than usually because of an ice sculpting event, and when we were leaving, it was already dark. We were walking through the Cat Valley when I stopped and turned to take this picture; I hope you like it (I do!):



CC

A true winter wonderland! Such beautiful pics. for sharing.

I like you laughing at the "do I have pictures of the snow leopards?"

Cremecat we would never think "so what", that was an amazing experience you had at the zoo and I bet your still buzzing from it

It's nice to know a little of why the cubs died, I know they are still looking into it but it does add some closure as to why it happened and maybe stop it happening again.

I am really looking forward to as many snowie pics as possible

Loving both those pictures, they are gorgeous, the place looks rather magical with all that snow and I bet it added a different atmosphere to the zoo, it looks so pretty, it really does.

Roll on the snowies tonight

littlewid-x-

A Beautiful winter wonderland, thanks for the pics CC and look forward to more news and photos when you can.

Lai

I think we can all imagine what that " So what " would would feel like. It would be for anyone thats an animal over, especialy someone who loves Big Cats. Those are two gorgeous pics CC, I think they deserve a WAA Frame award. Hmmm
WS

WS: "I think they deserve a WAA Frame award." -
(just a wink... )



CC

I just heard that Mohan and Kaly have mated several times during last week. When we visited the Zoo on February 9, the keeper really did know what he was talking about when he said that Kaly would be in heat within 3-4 weeks!
It is not at all certain that there will be any results, though, as the keeper had said that it has been more like rehearsing; and that actually it would be better if it would take about six months more before Kaly gets pregnant. She is only two years old so there will be a lot of time for her to have cubs.

Our elegant Kaly:





CC

That is really exciting news cremecat, even if there are no little cubs right now it shows they are very interested in each other and that there will be cubs......you definitely need to keep an eye on these two for us. That is a lovely picture of Kaly and thanks so much for letting us know the development with Handsome Mohan and beautiful Kaly.

littlewid-x-

I love the picture of Kaly CC and thankyou for the update also

The Zoo revisited last Sunday!

Mohan preferred to stay inside, but the girls were out enjoying the sunshine.

Pandora, the older lioness:



Young Kaly:





CC

CC they are both lovely Lioness's great to see them both
WS

Thanks CC - glad you got to visit the zoo and to see Pandora and Kaly, they are both beautiful lionesses.

Lai

indeedy CC! And I was thinking of you yesterday on my own zoo trip!

GR, I am sure your zoo trip was great!

I studied a bit and from what I learned, MZ is doing a good job at the breeding programmes of endangered species. They do not have Asiatic lions but they do have African ones. I read that later this year they will receive two young lionesses from Copenhagen Zoo. Maybe next year there will be some cubs too.

CC

On April 7 four Asiatic lion cubs were born at Emmen Zoo, Holland.

You can see them with their mom Tia on webcam under this link:
http://www.dierenparkemmen.nl/actueel/leeuwenwelpjes#

Click on the green bar in the middle of the page!



CC

I really do not know what to think about this:
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/the-return-of-the-native/article4637149.ece

I sounds great on paper, but can we trust that the lions will be safe in their new habitat?
I guess I have heard too many bad news from India: what the people there are doing to their wildlife...

CC

I agree CC. The biggest problem in India is human habitat impact, although that is the same in a lot of Countries now on their wildlife. It is something though that needs to be done, because as the article says, any disease or invironmental disaster in the Gir area, and the whole Lion population would be extinct in one go . Leys hope that this works, and the Lions can live, and the numbers grow. Thanks for puttong the article on CC, a really interesting read
WS

We had a great evening last week at Helsinki Zoo. We arrived after 5 pm and stayed until the closing time.
At first all the big cats seemed to be sleeping, but later on they woke up and gave us the best moments of the week.

Mohan doing what the lions do best:



The lionesses Pandora and Kaly were also sleeping, but when we returned a couple of hours later to their enclosure, things got somewhat exciting.

Kaly got up, walked to a spot where she could make sure that Mohan could see her, and started to roll on the ground:



I wonder what Mohan was thinking... "Not now" ?
She rolled and rolled...



... and rolled



Then she got up and walked closer to Mohan. And guess what happened then!
We thought that we were going to see something interesting - but the closing time was at hand and we had to leave.

But it WAS very exciting!!!

CC

CC - I am smiling so much at your wonderful photos and great commentary and of course how typical that the zoo was about to close and you had to leave

It sounds like you had a great visit though and thanks so much for sharing, your photos are just lovely.

Lai

Just read the link you put on Cremecat about the move of the Lions, I too am worried and sceptical as like you say, you only hear a lot of bad things about India and it's wildlife, so I am a little nervous about it.

On a bright note, loving the pictures of Pandora, Kaly and Mohan and also the ones of cheek Kaly trying to seduce Mohan .......what a darn shame the Zoo had to close just when things were hotting up

Glad you had a great visit and thanks for the pics and yes the brilliant commentary

littlewid-x-

Oh man, male lions are soooo lazy that they won't even get up for THAT!

CC, is it a regular occurence that your zoo opens late? I am hoping to go to a special night adventure at Werribee Zoo in Melbourne in about a months time (it is only running for a fortnight).

GR, in summertime the zoo is open from 10 am to 8 pm, but in wintertime they close already at 4 pm. The winter days are so short here, the sun sets before 4 (and in northern Finland the sun does not rise at all ). On some occasions they are open longer, like Cats Nights in September when there is special program and the zoo is open until midnight on two Fridays. They are fund raising events for conservation work of Amur leopards and tigers etc.

CC

Those Cats Nights sound ridiculously awesomey!!

GR

We were at the zoo again on Tuesday evening. 
All our lions Mohan, Pandora and Kaly were outside but mostly sleeping. It wasn't until just before closing time (at 8 p.m.) when something started to happen.
Mohan got up and started to roar, and soon Pandora joined him:



Very soon we heard also Kaly's voice from inside the building.
I really like to see lions roaring; they seem to be so serious about it! 

Then Mohan started to play with children. He ran alongside the fence, and the children ran with him on the other side. Every now and then he stopped and stood up against the fence. He tried to reach their little fingers through it, but of course there was a glass wall to stop it. - The kids were screaming of excitement, and Mohan seemed to enjoy as much as the children did.  



CC