Three rare cubs born at Whipsnade Zoo

Three rare Northern African lion cubs have been born at Whipsnade Zoo.

The new arrivals are a huge boost for conservation efforts, with the majority of African lion population numbers currently decreasing in the wild.

Keepers say that the trio have spent their first few weeks mostly eating and sleeping and that they're delighted with their progress.

The zoo added that the three newborns are yet to be named and that they'll be able to find out the gender of the cubs in the next few weeks.

What's happened?

The three cubs arrived on 25 November, and the zoo said that their mother, three-year-old Winta is proving to be a great mum to her new litter.

Since their birth, zookeepers have been observing the three-week-old siblings' milestones from a camera in their den.

The zoo added that the young lions are yet to be named and keepers will be able to find out the gender of the cubs after their first vet check, when they are around eight weeks old.

Sarah McGregor, from Whipsnade Zoo, said: "It's been 17 years since we last had African lion cubs at Whipsnade, so these three new additions really are something special for us.

She added: "Their arrival is not only very exciting, but an especially important boost to the conservation breeding programme for these amazing big cats."

According to the Zoo, three quarters of African lion populations are declining in the wild, mainly due to habitat conversion for logging, livestock farming and housing.

Top lion facts

1. They're really very lazy - They may be pretty tough and scary when they're awake, but that actually isn't very often.

Lions love nothing more than a good snooze, sleeping for up to 20 hours a day!

2. They're all about girl power - When it comes to lions, females are really important.

Lionesses do nearly all of the hunting, bringing food back for the entire pride.

3. They don't have great table manners - Despite their huge teeth, lions don't actually chew their food.

Instead, they swallow it in huge chunks, using just one side of their mouth.

4. They're not exactly quiet! - A lion can't actually roar until it is two years old.

But when it does, it's so loud you can hear it five miles away.

5. They don't like porcupines - They may not be very big, but porcupines are surprisingly a lion's biggest enemy.

Tricked into sniffing the little animal, unlucky lions can end up with one of the porcupine's spikes stuck inside their noses.