Meet the lion cubs that aren't fruits of the loin

Victor and Isabel, play under a tree at the Ukutula private game conservation centre. Pic/AFP

Watching the two little lion cubs boisterously play with each other at a conservation centre outside of South Africa's capital Pretoria, it's hard to see anything out of the ordinary. But these cubs are unique.

"These are the first ever lion cubs to be born by means of artificial insemination - the first such pair anywhere in the world," announced the University of Pretoria, whose scientists are researching the reproductive system of female African lions.

The two cubs, a male and female, born on August 25 are healthy and normal, said Andre Ganswindt, the director of the University of Pretoria's mammal research institute. His team's breakthrough came after 18 months of intensive trials. "We collected sperm from a healthy lion," Ganswindt told AFP. Ganswindt, said the breakthrough could be repeated, with scientists hoping the technique can be used to save other endangered big cats.

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