Adorable moment excited West Midlands Safari Park lion cub triplets run over to snack-filled birthday cake

Adorable footage shows three lion cubs celebrating their first birthday with a cake smash at West Midlands Safari Park.

Keepers presented the trio, Nero, Nox and Nancy, with a three-tier, zebra-print, cardboard cake, filled with chunks of their favourite snack - meat.

The adorable trio arrived on 13 April 2025 to mum, 12-year-old Amber, who clearly didn’t get the memo about whose birthday it was, as she was the first to rip into the cake with her sharp claws, often nudging the cubs out of the way.

The boys, Nox and Nero, although not as big as their mum, held their own and managed to secure some of the tasty treats for themselves, whereas Nancy, who’s a bit more wary, was happy to watch the chaos unfold.

The celebration not only marked the cubs’ first year but also highlighted the importance of enrichment in supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of the animals. Cardboard items, though simple, are a firm favourite among big cats, encouraging instinctive behaviours such as stalking, tearing and investigating.

Kasha Carter, Head of Carnivores, said: “It has been incredibly rewarding to watch Nero, Nox and Nancy grow over the past year. They've each developed their own personalities, but all remain closely bonded with their mum Amber, as well as the rest of the pride.

“Celebrating their first birthday with a cardboard zebra 'cake' is a great form of enrichment - encouraging natural behaviours while marking a really special milestone for the pride here at the Park. Nero confidently investigated the surprise first, but Amber showed them how it's done, displaying typical feline behaviours that you’d see with any cat, as soon as you present them with any kind of cardboard box!”

The birth of the cubs was significant, as lions are classed as ‘vulnerable’ in the wild by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). Wild lions are hard to count but estimates in 2023 indicated that there are between 22,000 and 25,000 adult and subadult lions left in Africa. It is believed lions exist in only about 6% of their historic range, demonstrating severe declines due to lions losing habitat and prey animals to humans.

Guests can see the cubs, with the rest of the pride on the Safari Drive, including the cubs’ dad, Tsavo and sister Hernatty. The cubs’ big brothers, Hodge, Havoc and Harabi, can be seen with their half-brother Hercules on Lion Ridge, in the Safari Walk area of the Park.

West Midlands Safari Park is open daily for its summer season and guests can book in advance online for the best prices, which also includes a free return visit. More information is available on the Park’s website here.