Audience decision: Asian lion cub Manika inspires Schwerin!

Audience decision: Asian lion cub Manika inspires Schwerin!

Animal lovers at Schwerin Zoo are happy about the birth of a new lion girl. On July 19, 2025, the Asiatic lioness “Rubi” gave birth to her first cub, which is now named “Manika”. This lovely shop was determined by the votes of over 3,000 visitors to the zoo, with around 2,500 voting for the name, which means “ruby” in Sanskrit. This further strengthens the connection to the mother of the little lioness.

The first veterinary examinations showed that Manika has a stable and age-appropriate level of development. As part of this routine examination, she also received a species protection transponder and an initial vaccination against common infectious diseases. In addition, a blood sample was taken to check her organ values ​​and rule out possible diseases. “The birth of Manika is an important contribution to species protection, because Asiatic lions are considered critically endangered,” explains a zoo spokesman.

The Threatening Status of Asiatic Lions

There are currently only around 350 to 400 Asiatic lions left in the wild, which are mainly found in the Gir National Park in India. This number shows how important conservation breeding programs are. Schwerin Zoo actively participates in the European Endangered Species Breeding Program (EEP) and thus contributes to securing the population of this animal species. The zoo currently has seven Asiatic lions, making it the fourth largest pride in the world, behind only facilities in India, Singapore and Denmark.

The situation of Asiatic lions is critical. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified it as “Endangered”. The EEP, which has a total of 128 animals, has only reported a few births in recent years. Every breeding success, like Manika's, contributes to the stabilization of the overall population and provides important data for the species monitoring process. However, there are risks, particularly from diseases that could be transmitted through contact with other animals.

Warm reunion and outlook

Manika's mother, lioness Rubi, who gave birth to her first healthy cub at the age of 16, is the focus of administrative and public attention. Their special achievement highlights the importance of good nutrition and care over many years in order to successfully raise offspring. In the meantime, the zoo has a responsibility to provide future generations of Asiatic lions with a safe home and to promote their distribution worldwide.

The Schwerin Zoo sees its task not only in keeping these majestic animals, but also in global cooperation in species protection. These comprehensive efforts are essential to improve the critical situation of endangered species. The success of lion breeding is therefore not only measured in numbers, but also by raising awareness about the threats to these animal species. It remains to be hoped that the coming years will be blessed with many more births and that cooperation in species protection will be further strengthened.