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Lion cubs take their first steps outside at zoo

Tony Fisher
BBC News, Bedfordshire
Whipsnade zoo Three lion cubs chasing something on a grassy paddock in a zoo.Whipsnade zoo
The cubs have been spotted chasing each other and playfighting in the grass in their paddock

Three northern African lion cubs have been pictured taking their first exploratory steps outside at a zoo.

Their movements have been monitored on a hidden cubcam at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.

The youngsters, born on 25 November 2024, have up until now been spending their time in their indoor den with mother Winta.

The zoo said the nine-week-old cubs would be sexed at their first health check next week.

Whipsnade zoo Three lion cubs together being watched over by their mother in a grassy paddock.Whipsnade zoo
The cubs took their first steps outside under the watchful eye of their mother Winta

The zoo said the trio were vitally important for protecting the lineage of their "sadly threatened" sub-species which was only officially recognised in 2017.

Three quarters of African lion populations are declining, which the World Wildlife Fund blames on habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and poaching.

There are between 23,000 and 39,000 lions left in the wild, according to estimates from the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Whipsnade Zoo said every visit supported the global conservation work of Zoological Society of London.

Whipsnade zoo Three lion cubs, with two of them standing and the one in the middle sitting on its haunches.Whipsnade zoo
Keepers at the zoo noticed one of the cubs was avoiding putting weight onto its back right leg, but it was being closely monitored by vets who said there had been improvement

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