Overview

• The cub died Tuesday two weeks after birth after its mother, Heidi, stopped caring for it.
• Keepers attempted supplementary feeding and medication, but the interventions did not stabilize the newborn.
• A fostering attempt with lioness Rubi showed brief interest before she ceased care and killed the very weak cub.
• Rubi continues to care for her own four-week-old offspring, according to the zoo.
• The zoo says Asiatic lions are highly endangered and notes its participation in the European breeding program, with four cubs successfully raised in the past two years, including two by Heidi.