The lion den at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C. just got two new tiny members.
Ten-year-old Nababiep gave birth to a pair of adorable African lion cubs at the zoo on Jan. 24 (a third, sadly, was stillborn). The two cuties are now snuggled up to their mom in a cubbing den, where they're getting oohs and awws from across the country, thanks to a live webcam installed in the room.
Zoo spokesperson Devin Murphy told TODAY.com that the pair has not yet been named, as the animal care staff won’t know the sex of the cubs until they complete a veterinary exam in three to four weeks.
"The first few days of a lion cub's life are very fragile," Rebecca Stites, an animal keeper at the zoo's Great Cats exhibit, said in a press release. "The best course of action is for us to allow her to care for and bond with her cubs."
In the spring, once the cubs have received their vaccinations and passed a swim test, they will be released in an enclosure for visitors to enjoy in person. Until then, the public can see what the two adorable cubs are up to (hint: lots of sleeping) through the Lion Cam on the National Zoo’s website.