Amid crisis, white lions stir excitement for Venezuela’s capital zoo

CARACAS, June 1 (Reuters) – 3 white lions arrived at a Venezuelan zoo final week immediately after an ocean-crossing voyage originating in Europe, aspect of a bid to raise readers at a family members-welcoming cash attraction and a modest signal of economic recovery for the disaster-racked state.

The zoo’s current growth marks a unusual dazzling place amid a extended financial meltdown, offering even some poorer families with a style for unique animals an cost-effective tour as young children enter for totally free and grownup tickets expense $1.

The two-year-aged lions, a woman and two males, lazily yawned or paced the size of their cages on a latest go to, housed briefly in small pens with concrete flooring and piles of straw.

“For Venezuelans that don’t have the economic suggests to vacation significantly way to see these animals up shut, this is truly vital,” claimed Caracas’ Caricuao Zoo official Bernardo Pereira, responsible for supplying the major cats their day-to-day meals of fresh new meat and bones to chew up.

The unusual white lions at the moment weigh about 120 kilos (265 lbs .) every single and were being transported from a Czech Republic zoo.

Native to southern Africa, the majestic mammals are credited with attracting about 8,000 people very last Sunday, a four-fold spike in contrast to past weekends, in accordance to zoo coordinator Jesus Hidalgo.

The trio will keep on being quarantined via the conclude of this month or early July just before they are moved to larger show spaces with trees and crops.

Late previous calendar year, the Caricuao Zoo also welcomed 3 wallabies, two of which are albinos go through a lot more . Giraffes might be extra afterwards this year, said Pereira.

With the lions’ arrival, who have nonetheless to be provided names, the zoo offers more than 300 animals from a few dozen distinctive species such as primates, reptiles and other felines.

Reporting by Vivian Sequera Producing by Carolina Pulice Enhancing by David Alire Garcia and Sandra Maler

Our Specifications: The Thomson Reuters Trust Rules.