For a good claws! - Staff at Mariupol zoo nurture cubs abandoned by shell-shocked parents

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Staff at a zoo in Mariupol are stepping in and nursing newborn lion cubs who were abandoned by their parents.

The cubs’ mothers stopped feeding them after experiencing stress and trauma during the fighting in the area, the zoo’s staff said on Tuesday.

The lion cubs were born on November 3 and were the first litter of Ilma and Simba.

"They are already three weeks old and growing. They are doing well. They are growing, developing, getting stronger and, I think, soon they will become big, formidable lions," zoo veterinarian Natalia Lutsenko said.

The little cubs have not been named yet because it is difficult to determine the genders of lions during their first month of life.

Two young Bengal tiger cubs, Cleopatra and Augustin, were also abandoned by their parents around four months ago. A caring local dog has now become the cubs’ foster mother.

Two Siberian tiger cubs were also abandoned by their mother at the zoo in Mariupol. The tiger mother had fed her litter regularly before the shelling started.

Staff at the zoo say they do their best to create the best conditions for the cubs’ development, and even rub their bellies after feeding to prevent colic.