Two Asiatic lion cubs were recently born in Israel, the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem reported on Wednesday.
The cubs were born to a 9-year-old lioness named Yasha who arrived from Germany, and an 11-year-old lion named Gere who arrived from a zoo in Sweden.
Yasha gave birth to the cubs after a three-and-a-half-month pregnancy. Each cub weighed between 1-2 kilograms (2.2- 4.4 lbs).
Cubs only open their eyes for the first time 11 days after they are born. After 15 days, they start to walk, and by the time they're a month old, they start to run around. Although cubs become quite independent at 8 months, the lioness continues to care for them until they are one and a half.
Asiatic lion cubs
(Video: The Biblical Zoo)
The Biblical Zoo partnered with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria to create a breeding program to preserve the endangered Asiatic lion.
The massive feline was once widespread throughout Asia and Greece, with many biblical accounts showing that the lion used to roam the Israeli wild.
The Asiatic lion went extinct in Israel due to excessive hunting during the Crusader period and its situation continues to worsen worldwide. Nowadays, Asiatic lions can only be found in a very small part of India.