Southwick’s Zoo is opening this weekend, just in time for April vacation.
Two new additions at the zoo this year are lion cubs LJ (Leroy Jr.) and his sister; born last October – they are now 6 months old. The sibling cubs are amazingly adorable. If you’re wondering why the sister’s name isn’t mentioned, well she doesn’t have one yet. Southwick’s Zoo is waiting for you to name her, so when you’re at the zoo be sure to have your best name ready to enter in the contest.
While touring the zoo with Betsey Brewer we stopped at the cubs’ exhibit. The two cute cubs were wimpering and chatting hoping for Betsey to jump in with them to play but Betsey said, “they’re getting too big now.” Betsey had to hand raise the cubs because their mother wouldn’t nurse them. “It’s very common for a first time mom to refuse to take care of their newborns, often times they don’t know what’s happened because they never witnessed a birth. If the mother nursed the cubs they would have stayed with their mom,” said Betsey’. Luke Weatherhead, Betsey’s son, also helped care for the young cubs and bravely entered the cubs’ exhibit recently, shown in a photo included.
Leroy, the cubs’ dad, is over 20 years old and wasn’t doing very well over the winter but has since perked up. Betsey feels Leroy doesn’t have much time left; the life expectancy of a captive lion is about 20 years. When Leroy passes the cubs will move to the lion exhibit, presently they are separated because their parents don’t recognize the cubs as their own. The cubs’ exhibit is near the lions’ exhibit and the cubs can smell their mom and hear their dad’s roar.
The cubs were conceived naturally at the zoo. Betsey said, “knowing Leroy doesn’t have much time left” we felt it was a good time to grow. Prior to the pregnancy the lions were prevented from conceiving through an implant in the lioness. “Lions are big animals and if we weren’t prepared to take on new cubs it would be difficult to find them a good home,” said Betsey.
The lions are kept on the property during the winter, they have a heated building and if the weather is above freezing they will go outside, they took several romps in the snow this winter. All the animals are kept on the property, Southwick’s has 17 heated buildings. The larger animals have their own heated buildings and those who don’t are moved to another location at the zoo.
The Brewer family, who owns and operates Southwick’s – New England’s largest zoo, is busy readying the zoo for opening day. Betsey said, “It was a hard winter and the past two days are the first nice ones we’ve had.” Southwick’s is always updating their zoo, this year is no exception, with the addition of new attractions.
Look for a follow up post on uptondaily for more details on what’s happening at Southwicks Zoo this year.
To view images in full size click an image to start slide show.
Luke Weatherhead photo and feature photo submitted by Southwick’s Zoo
UPTON DAILY 
Aww…they are just too cute!
Great article about the zoo. Thanks for reminding everyone to go!