Believe it or not, the National Zoo actually has news about some of the non-panda species under its protection. The zoo welcomed two African lion cubs on Friday morning when Nababiep, a ten-year-old lioness, went into labor.
Nababiep delivered three cubs, although the middle one was stillborn, the zoo says. “The first few days of a lion cub’s life are very fragile,” Rebecca Stiles, an animal keeper in the zoo’s Great Cats exhibit, says in a Smithsonian press release. African lions have a mortality rate of about 30 percent in captivity, compared with 67 percent in the wild.
The zoo took little time in switching on two livecamera feeds for animal lovers to gawk at Nababiep and the newborn litter. The lions won’t go back on public display until late spring, but already the cubs can be seen scampering about their den and playing with each other.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
National Zoo Lion Gives Birth to Cubs
The newborn cubs won’t go on display until late spring, but there’s already a lion cam.
Believe it or not, the National Zoo actually has news about some of the non-panda species under its protection. The zoo welcomed two African lion cubs on Friday morning when Nababiep, a ten-year-old lioness, went into labor.
Nababiep delivered three cubs, although the middle one was stillborn, the zoo says. “The first few days of a lion cub’s life are very fragile,” Rebecca Stiles, an animal keeper in the zoo’s Great Cats exhibit, says in a Smithsonian press release. African lions have a mortality rate of about 30 percent in captivity, compared with 67 percent in the wild.
The zoo took little time in switching on two live camera feeds for animal lovers to gawk at Nababiep and the newborn litter. The lions won’t go back on public display until late spring, but already the cubs can be seen scampering about their den and playing with each other.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Best of Washington 2023: Things to Eat, Drink, Do, and Know Right Now
“Shattered Glass”: An Oral History of the Media-Movie Cult Classic
Washingtonian Magazine
December 2023: Ways to Relax and Feel Better Now
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
29 of the Best Things to Eat and Drink Around DC in 2023
29 of the Best Things to Do Around DC in 2023
16 of the Best Things to Know Around DC in 2023
Reader Picks: 26 Local Favorites Around DC in 2023
More from News & Politics
The Washington Post Will Pause Its Advertising on X
Washington Post Says “Involuntary Layoffs” Could Be Next
An Inflatable George Santos Flopped Around the National Mall Tuesday
PHOTOS: The 2023 White House Holiday Decor
From the Archives: After JFK’s Assassination, His Final Flight From Dallas
Rosalynn Carter’s Likeness Is on Display at the Portrait Gallery
“FBI True” Revisits the Curious Case of Robert Hanssen
Guest List: 4 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This December