Philly lion cubs make their first public appearance [photos]

Four African lion cubs born at the Philadelphia Zoo earlier this summer made their public debut Friday.

Kataba, Mali, Sabi and Msinga followed their mother, Tajiri, around their enclosure and then explored it for themselves, chomping on the vegetation and leaping from the termite mounds that simulate their natural environment.

Wild lions keep their newborn cubs secluded, and Tajiri did the same, keeping her cubs in a small den area for several weeks after their birth on June 26. They are the first lion cubs born at the zoo since 1996.

Four-year-old Tajiri is a first-time mother. Her cubs’ names were selected by visitors and social media followers through a series of contests on the zoo’s website.

The zoo is also home to the cubs’ father, 5-year-old Makani, and Zenda, a 22-year-old female.