They'll soon be king of the beasts but for now Australia's youngest lion cubs are just cute balls of mischief for lioness Nairibi.
Four 10-week-old African lion cubs tripped, slipped, rolled and fought as they explored their exhibit at Melbourne's Werribee Open Range Zoo on Monday, ahead their public debut on Tuesday.
The inquisitive cubs, born December 13 last year, have impressed keepers with their progress.
Nairibi and the keepers have been closely monitoring the two females and two males in their new surroundings over the past few days.
"They are very curious, climbing up over the rocks and logs, wrestling with one another and pouncing on mum's tail," keeper Katherine Quinn said in a statement on Monday.
"Nairibi already has her paws full, in trying to keep everyone together and make sure that they don't stray too far!"
Like most babies, these tire quickly so zoo staff are asking visitors to be patient if the cubs need to retreat to their dens for food and sleep.
Long-term members of Zoos Victoria will have the honour of naming the cubs.
It's been a tumultuous past six months for Australia's lion pride.
Werribee's quadruplets followed another set of four cubs born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in November.
Melbourne Zoo's three ageing lions, all born at the zoo in 2000, died from diseases while Werribee's Tombo, 20, was euthanised after his health rapidly declined.
At Perth Zoo, Mandela, 14, died during dental surgery in November - seven months after his brother, Nelson, died of pneumonia.
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