Four endangered lion cubs in Cork have been named

Credit: fotawildlife.ie

Fota Wildlife Park in County Cork has named the four endangered Asian lion cubs who were born in February.

Ri, Riann, Rani and Ravi are the names chosen after hundreds of public votes.

They are now over 4 months old and join their mother and father, Gira and Shanto, along with their older brother Loki.

Aunt Gita will also be in the specially constructed lion habitat in the Asian Sanctuary in the park.

Loki’s two sisters, Arya and Amira were recently transferred to Helsinki Zoo, where their grandmother is.

It's part of the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP) for Asian lions.

They were part of the first lion cub pride to be born at Fota.

Kelly Lambe, Lead Ranger said “The pride is doing great, the cubs are growing and gaining strength daily".

They've made themselves at home, with Ms Lambe saying "Loki is proving to be a fantastic big brother as he is great with the cubs".

She says the adults are also adjusting well; "each one interacts with the cubs positively, you see them learning to hunt by playing with the others".

They are still having the odd suckle from Mum Gira, but they are also eating meat with gusto.

The naming competition which was announced in April was won by four people from Cork.

Ian Twohig, Emma McCarthy, Helen Cronin and Pamela Kent-Ryan each received a Conservation Annual Pass to Fota Wildlife Park.