Lion and Lioness Reveal Their Two Cubs to the Public at Novosibirsk Zoo

A lion couple, Nati and Zeus, had two cubs at the Novosibirsk zoo in late October.

As the cubs were born prematurely and before the cold weather set in, zoo staff decided not to take them away from their parents and to let the lion family live together in one enclosure.

Nati and Zeus have previously produced 22 cubs.

A few days ago, the baby lions began taking short outdoor strolls under the watchful eye of their mother.

The cubs are already steady on all four paws, and enjoy playing with each other and with their parents.

Zoo staff regularly examine the cubs. When a check-up is due, the lioness is lured out of the lion house, and then the way inside is blocked. The lion is usually moved to a separate enclosure.

The cubs enjoy themselves outdoors until their mother decides it is time to return indoors. Then she simply carries her offspring back inside their small den.
When the cubs are inside, the lioness brings them meat. Not for eating – the cubs have not yet been weaned. But by giving them a morsel of meat to lick, their mother is getting them accustomed to the taste.

The lion family will spend the entire winter in the open-air enclosure.

There are five lions at the Novosibirsk zoo: Nati, Zeus and their cubs, and Sam, who is the proud father of some liliger cubs.