Lion cubs encounter adult males for the first time at Australian Zoo
Keepers at Monarto Safari Park in Australia celebrated after four of the zoo's lion cubs were welcomed into the resident pride with a successful meeting between the youngsters and three adult males.
In video shared this week, the zoo announced the face-to-face encounter between the cubs and the 'big boys' was a success, allowing the three large males, the four cubs and three lionesses to live as one pride.
"In the wild, interactions between males and cubs can sometimes be less than friendly so it's incredible to have the cubs and our three boys mixing so brilliantly," the zoo's carnivore keeper, Christy Tonkin, said.
Since their birth in February, the cubs had been growing up in the privacy of their own den with mum Husani before meeting their aunts Makena and Nia in early April.
The entire pride then got together last week for the anticipated meeting in the lion night yards.
Although several times larger than the cubs, adult males Kubwa, Kito and Kashka appeared rather intimidated by the curious little cats and were seen running away from the cubs on numerous occasions.
See what happens in the video above.
