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In an adorable story we’ve all been following since 2025, African lion Araali gave birth to four feisty cubs on Wednesday, August 13. Mom and babies bonded well behind-the-scenes for six weeks before the cubs started exploring their outdoor habitat. Most recently, the cubs have been spending time in the primary yard of Predator Ridge, delighting lion fans around the nation with their playful exploration and boundless curiosity.
Now, we’re excited to officially introduce our male cub, Guion, and our little lion ladies, Alpine Lily, Olive and Poppy! Their names were thoughtfully chosen through meaningful conversations with their Animal Care team, who have worked tirelessly over the past several months to ensure the cubs’ wellbeing, along with special contributions from two incredible families who support Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance.
Animal Care Specialist Jordan Schimming shares more about each cub, their growing personalities and how to tell them apart (or at least try to!):
Guion
Guion is the lightest in color, and the stockiest of the group. He is just starting to get a little bit of hair growing in a mohawk and on his cheeks, but this is still hard to tell. He loves playing with sticks and is sometimes off on his own eating or playing. He is a pretty chill guy and finds a lot of comfort in mom, Araali, if he gets scared or if the girls get to be too much.
If you see a three-on-one battle, he is the one. The girls will often team up on him, but he takes it well. That dynamic will help him prepare for his future role in a pride of his own one day with his own girlfriends.
Poppy
We think Poppy is the easiest to tell apart because of her unique coloration. She has very few spots and has a reddish color. The corners of her eyes also swoop up like she’s wearing mascara. She is our little firecracker; she is spicy and wild just like her mom. She is curious and brave, often being the first one to inspect something. She is sweet and caring to her brother and sisters; she is the one that will make sure the group is all together when they are moving. We have seen her go back and wake up her siblings to let them know the group is on the move.
Alpine Lily
We affectionately call Alpine Lily and Olive “the twins” as they are the hardest to tell apart and are often together. Alpine Lily has the darkest spots of all the cubs on her face and legs. She has the lightest coloration of the girls. Her face is narrower, and the top of her head coming to more of a point than the other cubs. If you look closely, the pupil of her right eye is slightly smaller than the left eye. This has been thoroughly checked by our veterinarians and specialized animal ophthalmologists, and it does not affect her.
She likes to nap hard and sometimes misses the memo that the group is moving on. This is where Poppy comes in to wake her up and make sure, she is with the group. She is a calm and curious cub; she is gentle with her siblings and seems like a sweet little lady.
Olive
Olive is the largest of the females. It can be hard to tell her and Lily apart; Olive has a darker overall coloration than Lily. She has less spots on her face and legs. The spots she does have are lighter in color. She has a slightly wider head/face than Lily.
She is usually hanging with the group and quick to follow Poppy if something is happening. She was the first cub interested in eating meat, many days before any of the other cubs were brave enough to try it. She is smart and picks up on things fast. She has exhibited the most focus as our team has started training with the cubs.
