ASHEBORO -- The North Carolina Zoo has an exciting new addition, or four to be exact. Four new lion cubs were born at the zoo in Asheboro on July 30th. Jennifer Ireland, Animal Management Supervisor, says lions typically have two to three cubs at a time, and that this breeding was done at the recommendation of the Lion Species Survival Plan.

Ireland says, "In zoos, if we just bred animals because we wanted to have babies around, we would have way too many babies to have homes for. And, certainly, we would potentially be breeding animals that were related to each other to some degree. So the genetics would get washed out, and we'd start to see health problems."

Ireland added the cubs will not be on display for World Lion Day, which is Saturday with events at the zoo from 11 A.M. to 2 P.M. The cubs and their mother are secluded for the next six - to - eight weeks, in order to resemble the process in the wild.