PREVIEW

Three playful lion cubs have celebrated their first birthday in style – with a meat-filled cake smash at West Midlands Safari Park.

Nero, Nox and Nancy tucked into a three-tier, zebra-print cardboard cake packed with chunks of their favourite snack.

The trio, born on 13 April 2025 to 12-year-old mum Amber, were quickly upstaged as she barged in first, tearing into the cake with her claws and nudging the cubs aside.

Brothers Nox and Nero held their own and managed to grab some of the tasty treats, while more cautious Nancy hung back and watched the chaos unfold.

Head of Carnivores, Kasha Carter, said, “It has been incredibly rewarding to watch Nero, Nox and Nancy grow over the past year. They've each developed their own personalities, but all remain closely bonded with their mum Amber, as well as the rest of the pride. Celebrating their first birthday with a cardboard zebra 'cake' is a great form of enrichment - encouraging natural behaviours while marking a really special milestone for the pride here at the Park. Nero confidently investigated the surprise first, but Amber showed them how it's done, displaying typical feline behaviours that you’d see with any cat, as soon as you present them with any kind of carboard box!”

The birthday bash also highlighted the role of enrichment in keeping animals physically and mentally stimulated.

Simple cardboard items are a firm favourite among big cats, encouraging instinctive behaviours such as stalking, tearing and investigating.

The cubs’ arrival was significant as lions are classed as vulnerable in the wild by the IUCN.

Estimates in 2023 suggested there are between 22,000 and 25,000 adult and subadult lions left in Africa, with the species now occupying just six per cent of its historic range due to habitat and prey loss.

Visitors can see the cubs on the Safari Drive alongside the rest of the pride, including dad Tsavo and sister Hernatty.

Their older brothers Hodge, Havoc and Harabi can be found with half-brother Hercules on Lion Ridge in the Safari Walk area.