Bhubaneswar: Nandankanan Zoological Park in Odisha welcomed a new lion cub on Tuesday evening after lioness Shreya gave birth to her first offspring in enclosure number 18.

The cub was born to Shreya and lion Harsh. However, as Shreya was giving birth for the first time and did not show maternal care towards the newborn, zoo authorities separated the cub from its mother and shifted it to the animal nursery at the veterinary care centre for specialised attention.

The newborn is being kept under a warming light and fed through a feeding bottle.

With the birth of the cub, the total lion population at Nandankanan has increased to 23. The zoo now houses 13 male lions, nine lionesses and the newborn cub.

Notably, Harsh and Shreya are siblings. They, along with their brother Dhruv, were born on August 29, 2024, to lion Samrat and lioness Bijli.