By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 12:49 EST, 20 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:51 EST, 20 July 2012 . Shyly peeking out from the shelter and safety of their den, four rare newborn Asiatic lions had their first glimpse of the British sunshine as excited staff at Paignton Zoo in Devon unveiled their new mane attraction. The cute cubs, born on May 15, stayed close to their proud mum Indu as they took in the sights of the Devonshire outdoors. The zoo kept the arrival under wraps until the cubs had survived the critical first weeks of their lives. The newborn cubs peer out of their den at Paignton Zoo where they were born in May as part of an endangered species programme . Roarsome: the shaggy siblings stick together as they step into the sun . Indu will mother her babies until they are at least a year old, before they are sent to other zoos as part of an endangered species programme. Keepers are keeping their distance for now to allow the family to bond, so it will be a while before they can announce the sex of each cub. The zoo's operations director and curator of mammals Neil Bemment said: 'We have been letting her get on with being a new mum - so far she seems to be doing really well. 'We are cautiously excited. if she is successful then it will be thanks to a lot of care and attention from the keepers. It is very good news for the species.' Mum Indu was born at Paignton Zoo in 2003 while dad Mwamba was born in 2004 at Leicestershire's Twycross Zoo. The pair have attempted to breed before but this is their first success - a cub had to be put down in June 2011 after it was found to have spinal defects. The species is distinct from their African lion relatives with a shaggier coat, lighter colour and folds of skin on the belly. Mother's pride: The rare cubs have made it through the critical first weeks of life and are sure to be the MANE attraction when they are revealed to the public . A tentative tail first! Asiatic lions are notoriously shy and Paignton Zoo's latest arrivals were reluctant to leave the safety of the den where they were born . They enjoy socialising but live in smaller prides than their African cousins and tend to hunt without the adult male of the group, feeding on wild antelope, deer, pigs and cattle. Asiatic lions once joined Roman gladiators in fights in the Colesseum but are now fighting off the threat of extinction from hunting and the destruction of their habitat. The endangered lions are only found in the wild in the Gir National Park and Lion Sanctuary in India.Scientists say they are rapidly outgrowing their home there and experts have drawn up plans to relocate the animals to the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh. But the Gujarat state government have refused permission for the move, with critics accusing them of wanting to protect the income the state receives from tourists wanting to admire the magnificent animals. Experts estimate their numbers as roughly 411 big cats, including 150 adults. Captive lions can live to be 24-years-old while their wild counterparts have a life expectancy of 17-18 years. The last Asiatic lion cubs to be born in the UK were an early festive present for Bristol Zoo in 2010 as twins Jay and Kaly arrived on Christmas Eve to mum Shiva and father Kamal.
Paignton Zoo welcomes four unbearably cute Asiatic lion cubs as part of endangered animals breeding programme .
Only around 400 of the species left in the wild .
By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 12:49 EST, 20 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:51 EST, 20 July 2012 . Shyly peeking out from the shelter and safety of their den, four rare newborn Asiatic lions had their first glimpse of the British sunshine as excited staff at Paignton Zoo in Devon unveiled their new mane attraction. The cute cubs, born on May 15, stayed close to their proud mum Indu as they took in the sights of the Devonshire outdoors. The zoo kept the arrival under wraps until the cubs had survived the critical first weeks of their lives. The newborn cubs peer out of their den at Paignton Zoo where they were born in May as part of an endangered species programme . Roarsome: the shaggy siblings stick together as they step into the sun . Indu will mother her babies until they are at least a year old, before they are sent to other zoos as part of an endangered species programme. Keepers are keeping their distance for now to allow the family to bond, so it will be a while before they can announce the sex of each cub. The zoo's operations director and curator of mammals Neil Bemment said: 'We have been letting her get on with being a new mum - so far she seems to be doing really well. 'We are cautiously excited. if she is successful then it will be thanks to a lot of care and attention from the keepers. It is very good news for the species.' Mum Indu was born at Paignton Zoo in 2003 while dad Mwamba was born in 2004 at Leicestershire's Twycross Zoo. The pair have attempted to breed before but this is their first success - a cub had to be put down in June 2011 after it was found to have spinal defects. The species is distinct from their African lion relatives with a shaggier coat, lighter colour and folds of skin on the belly. Mother's pride: The rare cubs have made it through the critical first weeks of life and are sure to be the MANE attraction when they are revealed to the public . A tentative tail first! Asiatic lions are notoriously shy and Paignton Zoo's latest arrivals were reluctant to leave the safety of the den where they were born . They enjoy socialising but live in smaller prides than their African cousins and tend to hunt without the adult male of the group, feeding on wild antelope, deer, pigs and cattle. Asiatic lions once joined Roman gladiators in fights in the Colesseum but are now fighting off the threat of extinction from hunting and the destruction of their habitat. The endangered lions are only found in the wild in the Gir National Park and Lion Sanctuary in India.Scientists say they are rapidly outgrowing their home there and experts have drawn up plans to relocate the animals to the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh. But the Gujarat state government have refused permission for the move, with critics accusing them of wanting to protect the income the state receives from tourists wanting to admire the magnificent animals. Experts estimate their numbers as roughly 411 big cats, including 150 adults. Captive lions can live to be 24-years-old while their wild counterparts have a life expectancy of 17-18 years. The last Asiatic lion cubs to be born in the UK were an early festive present for Bristol Zoo in 2010 as twins Jay and Kaly arrived on Christmas Eve to mum Shiva and father Kamal.
sunshine as excited staff at Paignton Zoo in part of an endangered species programme. Keepers found in the wild in the Gir National Park and 17-18 years. The last Asiatic lion cubs to be