Five lion cubs delivered at Yangpu Park last weekend look healthy, but park officials are still worried their mother might not be able to care for such a large litter, park officials said yesterday.

Their mother, a four-and-a-half-year-old African lion, is being called a "heroine mother" for having five babies at one time, which is extremely rare for lions, said Zhu Jianming, a park official.

"She must have reached her body limits, overcoming great pain with courage and endurance," he said. "Usually a female lion gives birth to two to three cubs at a time."

An animal feeder at the park discovered the lion cubs last Saturday morning ."I stepped into the lion's residence, heard some gentle cries like those of cats, and was aware immediately of their existence," the feeder surnamed Liao recalled. "But I never expected to see so many little creatures and was pleasantly surprised." He said the next week is a crucial period for the survival of the cubs, and they won't open their eyes for another two weeks.

Park officials still don't know how many of the cubs are male or female as the mother has been very hostile toward humans since she gave birth, according to Zhu.

The mother gave birth to two cubs last July, but neither of the offspring survived.

"She must be very careful, fearing that men can do harm to her babies," Zhu said.

He said the park was also worried about the health of the newborns, because the mother has only four nipples.

"Her five cubs have to fight for food," he said. "We don't know whether her milk is sufficient."

(Shanghai Daily April 19, 2005)