Tamu is protective of her three lion cubs born Sept. 10 at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
The gender of the cubs has not been determined, though zoo staff members hope to examine the babies today. The cubs are not on exhibit, but guests can watch mother and babies on a video monitor. This is Tamu’s third litter and the first for the cubs’ father, Catali.
“My new favorite part of my workday is getting to watch the cubs toddle around and witness Tamu being a sweet, tender mom instead of a ferocious lioness,” said Pam Robie, mammal keeper at the zoo. “In just two weeks, the cubs have already grown quite a bit, their eyes are open and they’re learning how to shuffle pretty well. It’s amazing to get to see the progress with their development. ”