Mogo Wildlife Park’s orphaned lion cubs being cared for after mum Zuri’s death

Mogo zookeeper Chad Staples is taking care of two adorable lion cubs after the harrowing death of their mum, lioness Zuri, who died from complications of childbirth.

Chad Staples is devastated by the harrowing death of stunning lioness Zuri, yet gains comfort in caring for her two adorable cubs who would not have survived in the wild.

Already developing personalities and hearty cries, the cubs are the silver lining to a tragedy.

Seven-year-old Zuri gave birth to the two females five hours apart in her cubbing box at Mogo Wildlife Park, south of Batemans Bay, on the south coast.

She then climbed out to give birth to the third, raising the attention of concerned staff.

“She jumped out to deliver it but it was not moving from that moment. It was already dead before she gave birth,” Mr Staples told The Sunday Telegraph.

“She licked and licked it profusely for five minutes, trying to get that movement.

“Then it just clicked. It was not moving and it wasn’t going to happen, so she jumped back into the box with the other two. Animal behaviour astounds me every day.”

Mogo zookeeper Chad Staples is caring for lion cubs after they lost their mother Zuri. Picture: Supplied

Earlier ultrasounds had shown three foetuses, so Mr Staples thought “that was it” — but Zuri was carrying a fourth cub, double the size of the others.

“She went back into labour and we were all watching on the cameras,” he said.

“It was a partial birth but you could tell the cub was too big.

“We scrambled in to the next stage and immobilised her for an emergency caesarean.”

The 2½-hour surgery revealed Zuri had suffered significant tears through her uterus and needed a hysterectomy.

Amid fears she would go into toxic shock, the surgery seemed a success. The first 48 hours saw Zuri back in her den being given fluids, pain relief and antibiotics. The first day was promising but she suffered multiple organ failure and died on December 11 — three days after giving birth.

The adorable lion cubs at Mogo Wildlife Park. Picture: Supplied

Lioness Zuri died during childbirth. Picture: Instagram

The cubs are being looked after by zoo staff. Picture: Supplied

For Mr Staples, it was like losing a member of the family.

Now he has her two little girls in his arms. For the moment, they remain nameless as Mr Staples patiently waits for their personalities to develop so he “gets it right”.

He is kept busy bottle-feeding every two to three hours, making sure their heat box is just the right temperature and sterilising bottles in the breaks.

Zuri’s death has shattered the Mogo zoo community. Picture: Instagram

His work is paying off, with the cubs, who weighed just over 1kg at birth, gaining an average 100g each day.

“They’ve just started to open their eyes a couple of days ago but they can tell it’s me more through the smell,” he said.

“They’re certainly much more aware now of what’s going on. They are great feeders and doing everything they should be. They’re going really well.

“They are beautifully noisy at times, talking to each other and calling out. They are about to get very active.”

After spending his working life close to wild animals, Mr Staples is a realist when it comes to nature’s cruelties but finds comfort in the fact he can make a difference.

“At the end of the day, these beautiful creatures would not have survived had they been born in the wild,” he said.

“Death like this happens all the time. But we’ve managed to save two beautiful creatures. That’s a good feeling.”