DUSHANBE, September 12, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Four lion cubs have been born at Dushanbe Zoo.

Talking to Asia-Plus, the zoo director Nazarali Sattorov said the lioness Matilda gave birth to four male cubs a week back.  According to him, they acquired the lion Graf and the lioness Matilda from Tashkent Zoo in 2007 and it is already the second case that they give birth to four cubs.

“For the first time, Matilda gave birth to four cubs last September and the cubs were handed over to Yalta Zoo in Ukraine in November 2008,” Sattorov said.  All necessary conditions have been created for the cubs and the little lions have already started to form their own personalities.

“The Dushanbe Zoo is member of the Association of Zoos that groups more than 70 zoos from the former Soviet Union and Europe,” said the director, “There is an animal exchange program within the Association and we have already informed them of birth of the cubs and we will probably be able to exchange them for other animals our zoo do not have.”

He added that ostrich nestling, bear cub, colt (young camel) and several wolf cubs have been born at Dushanbe Zoo this year.

Dushanbe Zoo now has more than 1000 animals of nearly 130 species.