Zoo's Littlest Lion Cubs Take Their Swim Tests

All lion cubs at the zoo must take the test to ensure they're ready to be on exhibit

The National Zoo's newest class of lion cubs passed an important exam Tuesday.

One by one, the four cubs were dropped into the moat that surrounds the lions' exhibit to take their swim reliability tests. The cubs were each able to keep their heads above water as they paddled to the shallow end of the moat and climbed onto dry land.

Excellent work, cubs! We hope you got gold star stickers afterward.

The 10-week-olds are the latest to ace the test. Their two older half-sisters also passed recently, and those older cubs could go on exhibit as early as Friday.

All lion cubs at the zoo must take the test to ensure they're ready to be on exhibit.

In other great cat-related news: Indie rock band Portgual. The Man will perform a free "stripped down" concert at the National Zoo next Monday, as part of the #EndangeredSong campaign, the zoo has announced. What does this actually have to do with great cats? We're glad you asked. The Great Cats team at the zoo will be there to answer questions about Sumatran tigers, both at the zoo and in the wild. Register for the event here.

 
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