Adorable lion cubs exploring West Midland Safari Park in heartwarming photos

Yahoo

a day ago

Charming photos reveal a trio of delightful lion cubs playfully discovering their new enclosure under the vigilant eye of mum, following their birth at a UK safari park.
West Midlands Safari Park keepers are rejoicing over the arrival of three African lions, born to 12 year old Amber on April 13.
Now just over eight weeks old, the youngsters have had their first health check, confirming they are two boys and a girl.
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They've since been named Nero, Nox and Nancy - in line with the park's theme of naming every newborn this year starting with the letter N.
The births are being celebrated as a 'significant' step towards the survival of the species, as lions are categorised as 'vulnerable' in the wild by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Senior carnivore keeper, Shauna Jenkins, said, "Amber has been a fantastic mother after giving birth to her three cubs.
"We keepers try to be as hands-off as we can with animal births, so we initially monitored the cubs via CCTV to minimise the disturbance.
"It has been exciting to watch them reach crucial milestones in their development under Amber's devoted care.
"As they've grown bigger and more active, the cubs have become increasingly playful, often seen using Amber as their climbing frame or her tail like a toy - particularly when she's lying down to eat.
"Their unique personalities are beginning to emerge and we're all eager to watch them to continue to grow and develop."
The zoo's lion cubs are gearing up for their first taste of the great outdoors, with keepers preparing to give them access to an outdoor area adjacent to the lion house.
Before they can embrace the wilds of their enclosure, the cubs will require a second round of jabs and another health check, much like domestic kittens do before venturing outside.
Shauna shared: "The female, Nancy, is already showing a strong independent streak, with her brothers often following her lead as they explore their environment and investigate new sights and smells.
"Amber is very relaxed with her cubs exploring, with keepers in the vicinity carrying out their routine husbandry tasks - a true reflection of the trust and bond she shares with the team."
With the latest 2023 figures estimating that there are only between 22,000 and 25,000 adult and subadult lions remaining in Africa, the survival of these majestic creatures is becoming increasingly precarious.
Katie McDonald, research and conservation officer, commented: "We are all so familiar with lions - they are the iconic animals of children's stories and have been seen in zoos for centuries.
"It is hard to imagine that they could become extinct.
"It is believed lions exist in only about 6 per cent of their historic range, demonstrating severe declines. This is due to lions losing habitat and prey animals to humans.
"As the human population in lion range areas increases, human-lion conflict is becoming more and more of a problem for both people and the cats."
West Midland Safari Park is home to a new litter of lion cubs, supporting conservation efforts in Africa. A spokesperson said: "There are specific regional conservation strategies in place to save lions on the ground in Africa.
"Having lions at the Safari Park allows us to keep their story very much alive."
The cubs are the latest additions to the animal attraction, which has recently welcomed three Sumatran tiger cubs, an Indian rhino calf, two blesbok calves, and a barasingha fawn.