Watch: Two lion cubs cuddle in their den at the Denver Zoo

Two teeny-weeny African lion cubs were born at the Denver Zoo Thursday, and so far they’ve spent their time in the world nuzzling around their den, nursing and cuddling with their mom.

The cubs are healthy and bonding with their mother, 4-year-old Kamara, the zoo said in a statement Tuesday. They’ll stay behind the scenes for about two months before the zoo staff gradually introduces the pair to the rest of the pride.

“We are watching Kamara closely to make sure she’s showing appropriate maternal behaviors, like nursing and grooming,” said Matt Lenyo, assistant curator of predators.“We’re seeing a lot of positive signs that things are going well, and will continue to keep a close eye on her and the cubs in these critical first days and weeks.”

The sex of the little cubs has not yet been determined. Their birth comes almost a year after another cub was born in the zoo, Tatu, in July 2019.

Tatu is a half-brother to the two new cubs, the zoo said. All the cubs were fathered by 4-year-old Tobias, who was moved into the zoo in 2018 in the hopes that he would breed with the zoo’s female lions.

African lions face growing threats from poaching, loss of prey and habitat loss, according to the zoo, and the cubs’ arrival is an important part of the effort to keep a healthy, genetically diverse population among zoos.

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