Leoncio Left Us a Son (+photo & video)

A baby lion was born on Monday in Sancti Spíritus Zoo. The newborn is the son of the stallion that was put to sleep last January 30^th due to health problems

A baby lion, named Raly, was born on Monday in Sancti Spíritus Zoo. The newborn is the son of Leoncio, which was recently put to sleep due to health problems, and Bertha, one of the two lionesses that have lived in the zoo for several years now.

Raly enjoys good health, and has been isolated together with his mother in order to avoid the stress that could cause the contact with the public.

According to Arnaldo Almanza Hernández, one of the zookeepers, despite Leoncio was seriously ill and unable to eat properly, he mated with the two female lions several times, but they never imagine that any of the two was pregnant.

For over nine years, a lion hadn’t been born in this zoo, but thanks to the dedication of the staff, what for many biologists is considered an extraordinary event has happened again. And, apparently, Raly won’t be the only descendant of Leoncio, because Margarita, the other lioness, seems to be pregnant as well.