5 adorable rare lion cubs born at Whipsnade Zoo

The tiny cubs are the third litter to be born at the conservation zoo in less than two years as part of the international conservation breeding programme.

Born to five-year-old lioness Waka and four-year-old dad Malik, the cubs arrived late on the evening of Tuesday, June 23 – with keepers monitoring the births via a hidden ‘cubcam’.

The new additions bring the pride’s total to 11 – the largest it has ever been.

Steve Merrick-White, team leader of predators at Whipsnade Zoo, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome a new litter of Northern African lion cubs during ZSL’s 200th anniversary year. Not only are they part of the conservation breeding programme for their species, but they mean our pride is the largest it has ever been.

“This is Waka’s second litter, and she really thrives as a mother. She’s been so attentive, making sure her cubs are fed, clean and comfortable, and it’s been lovely to watch her with them.

“Lions are highly sociable and enjoy living in large groups. We’ll need to wait until the five new arrivals are a bit bigger to introduce them to their one-year-old siblings.”

Three quarters of African lion populations are declining in the wild, driven by large-scale habitat conversion for logging, livestock farming and housing, the loss of prey through unsustainable hunting, and human-wildlife conflict. The Northern African lion, only officially recognised as a sub-species in 2017, is among those most urgently in need of conservation attention.

“We won’t know the sexes of these cubs until their first health check and vaccinations when they are around eight weeks old, at which point we’ll be able to pick names that suit them,” Steve added.

“Whilst Waka and her fivesome will be spending a little longer indoors to allow the cubs to get bigger and stronger, visitors will be able to glimpse the rest of the pride prowling about their paddock this summer.”