Little lions, big adventure
Five rare Northern African lion cubs have begun exploring outside for the first time at Whipsnade Zoo, with the youngsters now strong enough to spend time in their paddock – under the watchful eye of their mum, Waka.
The five cubs, born to five-year-old Waka and four-year-old dad Malik in June 2026, have spent their first weeks tucked away in their cosy den. Now bigger, stronger and increasingly curious, the youngsters have begun to investigate their spacious outdoor home, with Waka never far away.
Sarah Mcgregor, Predators Section Manager at Whipsnade Zoo, said: ‘It’s been wonderful to see these five little cubs grow in confidence over the last few weeks. They’re now at the age where they are very curious and they’re keen to investigate everything around them.’
Whipsnade Zoo’s veterinary experts carried out the cubs’ first health check when they were eight weeks old, enabling them to confirm the new litter is made up of three boys and two girls.
African lions have garnered a position as icons of the African savannah and the animals that share the distinctive landscape with them. In books, films, and theatre, lions symbolise strength and connection – as such, the litter have been given names inspired by Disney’s The Lion King. The three boys have been named Mufasa, Pumbaa and Rafiki while the two girls are Sarabi and Shenzi.
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 lion, only officially recognised as a sub-species in 2017, is among those most urgently in need of conservation attention.
The five cubs are the third litter of Northern African lions to be born at the Bedfordshire zoo in less than two years, where they play an important role in the international conservation breeding programme. The conservation breeding programme helps safeguard these rare big cats by creating an insurance population in zoos, educating and inspiring zoo visitors, while protecting the unique lineage of the sub-species.
Visitors to Whipsnade Zoo can now visit Waka and her five cubs as they begin exploring their paddock, with the youngsters likely to spend increasing amounts of time outside as they grow in confidence.
Every visit to Whipsnade Zoo supports the global work of ZSL to protect and restore wildlife around the world. The cubs’ arrival comes at a significant time for ZSL, as the charity celebrates its 200th anniversary year.
Whipsnade Zoo lit up its iconic chalk White Lion in a spectacular event on Wednesday 23 September, marking ZSL’s bicentenary and shining a light on one of Bedfordshire’s most recognisable landmarks. From 30 September, the White Lion will then be illuminated every Wednesday at dusk until the end of 2026, giving communities across the three counties it looks over, the opportunity to see the famous landmark shine as part of ZSL’s 200th anniversary celebrations.
Visit www.whipsnadezoo.org to book tickets to see Waka and her cubs and support ZSL’s global conservation efforts.
Image © Whipsnade Zoo