Lion Vasectomy Take 2: Three 'Miracle Cubs' Put King of Jungle Brutus Back Under the Knife

Brutus the white lion has fathered three "miracle" cubs despite having had a vasectomy, so the king of the jungle is going back under the knife.

Nala, a lioness who lives with Brutus at the Drakenstein Lion Park near Cape Town in South Africa, stunned staff at the sanctuary when she gave birth to the cubs just before Christmas.

"We are a non-breeding sanctuary and Brutus before he became sexually mature had a vasectomy which we assumed worked because for the last three years there has been no offspring," the park's owner Paul Hart told Reuters by phone on Tuesday.

"So we were taken completely by surprise by the cubs."

Local media reports jokingly referred to a "Christmas Miracle" or "White Christmas" as the animals are rare white lions – an unusual genetic mutation.

Mother and cubs, who have yet to be named, are doing fine, while Brutus has a date with a vet. "Hopefully, this time round, we'll fix the problem," Hart said.

The Drakenstein Lion Park is a private sanctuary that rescues captive lions from abusive environments that cannot be released into the wild.


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