Lion offspring at Leipzig Zoo exploring outdoor enclosure

The four lion cubs born at Leipzig Zoo in early July can now sniff the air of their outdoor enclosure. During their first outings before visiting hours, mother lion Kigali still severely restricted the radius of her cubs and also retreated to the back areas after a short time, zoo director Joerg Junhold said Saturday. "She continues to be very cautious and reacts attentively to any change, in this respect she should and will determine the pace of acclimation of her cubs on the outdoor enclosure herself."

The cubs are very curious and will be seen regularly by visitors in the future, the director said. Since birth, he said, it's still unclear what sex the lion cubs are. However, their keepers had taken advantage of the cubs' curiosity and weighed them, he said. They weighed between 6.6 and 7.4 kilograms, she said.