Today, the oldest litter of lion cubs was let out for the first time. The cubs ran close on the heels of their mother, who was busy keeping track of all five. Take a look here and stop by the Zoo this weekend – you might be lucky enough to see them outside again!

London Zoo’s five Asiatic lion cubs have been spotted taking their first steps outside with mother Arya. Adorable pictures show the eight-week-olds appearing tentative at first, looking to mum for reassurance, but were soon seen skipping around their Indian-inspired habitat, chasing each other and playing with their mother’s tail.

London Zoo said: “The cubs, born on 13 March 2024, have so far spent their time cosied up in their special indoor cub dens with mum. The trio are yet to be sexed, and this will happen during their first health check later this month.”

The three cubs are an important addition to the conservation breeding programme, which safeguards a healthy population of the Critically Endangered species. Surviving only in the Gir Forest in Gujarat, India, the wild population is particularly vulnerable to disease or natural disaster. Recent population estimates suggest that only 600 to 700 individuals remain in the wild.