German shepherd raises two lion cubs after their mother rejected them

A German Shepherd at a Russian wildlife park is being praised for accepting two young lion cubs into her family after their mother appeared to reject them.

As reported by the Daily Mail, staff members at the White Lion Park in the city of Vladivostok feared for the baby lions when it became clear that their mother was not looking after them properly.

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The lioness is a first-time mother named Sirona and she has been described as "very introverted, reserved and secretive", and her babies became "emaciated and dehydrated" while in her care.

In order to save the little lions - one male, one female - from starvation, keepers at the park decided to give them to an eight-year-old German Shepherd named Sandra, who had recently given birth to a puppy herself.

Check out the incredibly sweet way in which Sandra interacts with her adopted cubs:

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Viktor Agafonov, the park director, said per the Daily Mail, that the lioness's behavior is is not normal - as a new mother she should be feeding her children and protecting them.

Agafonov also added that he thought it was interesting that Sandra, who has shown a dislike for cats, has embraced the African lion cubs with open arms.

According to the park director, the male cub and the female cub are both "carefully" drinking their foster mom's milk. Sandra, whose own puppy is smaller than lion cubs, has plenty of milk - in fact, she has been known to feed eight puppies!

The footage below shows the lioness's hostile behavior towards her cubs. Worryingly, she appears to bite one of her little ones:

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Agafonov was full of praise for the loving foster mom, Sandra, adding that she has helped a lot particularly when it comes to the cubs' mere survival. He revealed that their mom didn't even come close to them.

The keeper then added that the dog's milk is an appropriate substitute for their mother's milk as it has all the necessary nutrients.

Related - Check out the moment a lion chases tourists in a Jeep during a safari:

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