A private zoo owner in central Poland feels three times lucky with the birth of white lion triplets who are getting loving care from their mother.

Andrzej Pabich, head of the zoo in Borysew, said white lions often have defects that prevent giving birth, or mothers may reject the cubs. Triplets are rare.

Pabich said the two-year-old white lioness Azira has been patiently feeding and caring for the cubs that were born on January 28. Their father, three-year-old Sahim, who is also white, is kept in a neighbouring cage.

The cubs will be allowed into an outdoor run in April.

Opened in 2008, the zoo has animals of 80 species including white tigers and white camels.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.