Lovable video of lion cubs, bear and hyena playing together in Nandankanan goes viral on social media

By Sukant Mohanty

Bhubaneswar, April 4: An adorable video of cubs of lion, a bear and grey a hyena playing together in an enclosure in Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) in Odisha capital Bhubaneswar has gone viral on social media.

In the video, the cubs of three different animal species could be seen enjoying each other’s company while playing jovially inside the enclosure.

As per the sources, these animal cubs are either orphans or have been rejected by their parents. They have been put in the same enclosure to make them socialise in the absence of their parents.

According to noted wildlife expert Biswajit Mohanty, “All the cubs seem to be enjoying each other’s company very well. This is perhaps the first of its kind experiment in India where different animal species are allowed to grow together in an enclosure. This will encourage cohabitation.”

“They are staying in a controlled condition at the zoo. This is not at all a natural condition for them. Every animal has two traits. One is its natural instinct, and the other one is its environmental impact. So, I think this playfulness will change when they grow up,” Mohanty said.

“These cubs would have found it difficult to survive in the jungle and most probably ended up in the stomach of some other bigger carnivores. This also projects selflessness and respect among the cubs,” Mohanty added.

On January 11, Nandankanan zoo welcomed new lion cubs. Lioness Riwa gave birth to four cubs. While two cubs died the same day, the other two cubs were given special treatment. The zoo authorities had celebrated their births with much fanfare.