Zookeepers 'heartbroken' by death of lion cubRichard Baker -
Staff at a zoo have been left "heartbroken" after a three-month-old lion cub died unexpectedly.
Kito, who was born at Blackpool Zoo and was one of the first African lions to be born there in more than a decade, died on Tuesday after a "very short" illness.
He was treated for "abdominal discomfort" on Monday, the zoo said, before surgery revealed an infection that was too severe to operate on. He was put down the following day.
The zoo, which had been asking the public to name Kito and his two siblings, said keepers had now posthumously chosen a name meaning "precious jewel" in Swahili.
Kito was born to mother Hira and father Khari on 26 July, along with two other cubs.
In a statement, Blackpool Zoo said: "There have been no previous concerns about the cubs and they have undergone two health checks, one of which took place very recently.
"The whole team is absolutely heartbroken and we are sure many visitors and members will share our sadness having followed the cubs' story since their birth."
African lions are classified as vulnerable in the wild, with populations declining significantly in recent decades because of habitat loss, conflict with humans and a reduction in natural prey.
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First African Lion cubs born at zoo since 2015
Source: Nature
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