Five rare Northern African lion cubs explore their outdoor paddock at UK zoo for the first time

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 19:50 EDT, 22 September 2026 | Updated: 20:56 EDT, 22 September 2026 Five rare Northern African lion cubs have explored their outdoor paddock at a British zoo for the first time. New pictures show the lions exploring their new, and perhaps unfamiliar, Kingdom at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire. The cubs were named after Disney film The Lion King. Born in June 2026, the litter consists of three boys, Mufasa, Pumbaa and Rafiki, and two girls, Sarabi and Shenzi. Their watchful mother, Waka, looked over her children after the cubs became strong and curious enough to venture outside their den for the first time. The cubs spent their first five weeks there before exploring their new home. The Northern African lions are a rare subspecies facing threats in the wild and the cubs form part of an international conservation breeding programme designed to safeguard their genetic lineage. 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. Lion Waka and her cubs outside at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire Roar! One of the cubs practising to become the next king of the jungle, albeit in Bedfordshire Their watchful mother, Waka, looked over her children after the cubs became strong and curious enough to venture outside their den for the first time Now bigger, stronger and increasingly curious, the youngsters have begun to investigate their spacious outdoor home, with Waka never far away Hakuna Matata! These young cubs may dream of becoming the next lion king one day Lion Waka sits with her three cubs named after iconic Disney film The Lion King