Visiting The Four New Lion Cubs At The Denver Zoo

This past Wednesday I drove to the Denver Zoo to see the four new lion cubs that were born exactly 9 weeks earlier. It was announced last week that they would be introduced to the public starting that Thursday and be on display from 9:30 until 11:30 A.M. each day. As I was getting closer to the zoo, I was behind a long line of cars and had a sinking feeling that they were all headed the same place I was, which turned out to be true. As soon as I entered the zoo, I saw the longest line I have ever seen at the zoo. It was like they were giving away money. In any case, I joined the queue and spent 1 1/2 hours in line. Many of us who arrived around 10:00 wondered what would happen once 11:30 rolled around, but we soon found out the cubs would now be outside until 5:00 P.M. each day, and so no problem. At least if knew about that in advance. When I finally got to see the cubs, they were all sleeping, along with their mother. But while I was there, one of the cubs happily woke up and posed for a portrait. Thanks guy!

After seeing the cubs, I went around the rest of the zoo, and when I returned to Predator Ridge, the lion compound, the line was actually pretty short, and so I queued up once again. This time they were all awake and being fed, but the light was not good, and I really struggled to get a decent photo. I imagine it would have been best to wait until a cloudy day when there would be no glare from the sun, but as Ansel Adams used to say, "the hell with it." I fixed the photograph on the right as best I could in photoshop. And yes - the mother, Araali, is indeed staring at me very intently in that photograph. I don't know if that is because she recognized me from previous visits and is happy to see me again, or if she thinks I am a threat to her cubs - pointing a strange object at them - and wants to rip me apart. Probably best not to climb into the main lion compound when the cubs join the rest of the pride and find out.

One of the lion cubs did walk over to the front of the window and lay down while I was there, which allowed me to take the photograph on the left. The cubs are definitely very cute, and it is definitely worth heading to the Denver Zoo to see them. Just don't wait too long. They grow up quickly and before you know it you can no longer tell them from the other lions. That was the case with Tatoo, a lion cub that was also born at the Denver Zoo years ago. Once he became a teenager, I could no longer identify him. And, I have to admit, he was no longer cute.