SANTIAGO – Two lion cubs, born after a pioneering veterinary procedure that involved a reversed vasectomy of their father, were presented to the public at a Chilean zoo last week.
“This is the first successful reversal of a lion vasectomy reported in the world,” said urology specialist Marcelo Marconi, who joined the zoo vet team to lead the procedure.
Masai, the cubs’ mother, became pregnant after the father Maucho underwent the procedure, which vets at Buin Zoo in the suburbs of Santiago said took months of planning and a five-hour operation.
Both parents had been rescued from circuses.
One of the cubs, born around three months ago, is named Niara, and the other is yet to be named. Both are female.
