Meet Kubwa, Kashka and Kito! The public voted online to name these new cubs, who are the first lions to be born on at Werribee Open Range Zoo near Melbourne, Australia. They were born to mom Nilo and dad Johari.
The names were chosen based on the lion cubs' personalities. Kubwa means "big" in Swahili and is a fitting name for the largest and most adventurous cub of the group. Kashka means "friendly" in Nigerian and is the perfect name for the littlest cub, who is particularly interested in interacting with his keepers. Kito means "precious" in Swahili and is a great name for the third cub since he's often curled up between his mother's paws, according to Zoos Victoria.
The cubs were weighed and their health was thoroughly checked at six weeks of age. They all clocked in at around 15 pounds, and were given vaccinations and microchips. They are nearing the end of the very vulnerable infancy that lions experience, explained Zooborns.
They now venture into the public display area with their mom for short time periods, and have been exposed to new toys and scents to stimulate their development.
Before the cubs were born, mom Nilo was given access to a special den away from her pride so that she could have a secluded space in which to give birth and to then bond with her cubs, as lions do in the wild, said Zooborns.
