The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre(UWEC) also known as Entebbe Zoo has welcomed two lion cubs born on Christmas day.
According to the UWEC spokesperson, Eric Ntalo, this brings the total to nine lions at the Entebbe Zoo after 7-year-old Mutagamba, a lioness named after former Tourism Minister; Maria Mutagamba gave birth to two cubs.
Barbra Alapo, a curator said that the sexes for the two new cubs are yet to be identified but noted they are in good condition.
“The two cubs are healthy. The fact that Mutagamba successfully raised her previous litter of three; Zuri, Paradise, and Africa in 2017 and has a record of being a good mother, we are hopeful that they will thrive as we continue to monitor them,” Alapo said.
She added that Mutagamba’s cubs are expected to be on view to the public at least in two months, or at a date deemed appropriate.
The UWEC Executive Director, Dr.James Musinguzi said the two clubs will be named either Emmanuel or Emmanuella according to their respective sexes.
“The criteria of naming them will depend on the decision we shall make but on their names, we shall annex Emmanuel or Emmanuella,”Musinguzi said.
Mutagamba was born in 2012 to the late Kibonge(father) and Bisa(mother) and was then named after then Minister for Tourism, Maria Lubega Mutagamba.
In September, the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre was dealt a big blow when their biggest lion, Letaba, aged 10 years was shot dead by Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers in Mubende.
Letaba had been taken for a conservation education program as part of the Empango celebrations for Toro kingdom at Fort Portal but as they returned to Kampala, the vehicle in which they were moving swerved off the road, prompting the 10-year-old lion escaped from a cage.
The highly charged animal later killed three pigs and a cow, prompting UWA ranger to put it out of action after efforts to dart it failed to yield any result.
Letaba had been brought to Uganda in 2015 from South Africa to replace Kibonge who had died due to old age.
