Earlier this year, on Easter Sunday, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium welcomed a healthy female African lion cub to first-time parents Scarlett and Hondo. Since then, she’s been spending her days behind the scenes with her mom in the zoo’s maternity habitat. But every now and then, she hears Dad let out one of his mighty roars, and this time, she decided to give it a try herself.<\/p>\n
The 2-month-old cub may not have mastered her roar just yet, but she’s certainly giving it her best shot. As hard as she tries, her tiny squeaks are no match for her father’s thunderous roar, which can be heard from as far as five miles away. It’s probably the cutest thing you’ll hear all day, and we’d bet you’ll watch it more than once.<\/p>\n
The Pittsburgh Zoo<\/a> also shared some fun news in the caption. “Our little lion queen is the main event here at the Zoo, but she still needs a name! We\u2019re asking everybody to look left, look right, and come up with a name that stands out in the spotlight! For a $5 donation, guests can submit a name for our cub. Keepers will vet the suggestions and come up with the top choice. We just can\u2019t wait for her to be named! Submit your suggestion on our website<\/a> now!”<\/p>\n Related: Mother Lion Trying to Nap While Cubs Play With Her Tail Is So Relatable<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc36<\/a>SIGN UP to get \u201cpawsitivity\u201d delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends<\/a>\ud83d\udc3e\ud83d\udc3e<\/a><\/p>\n When Do Lion Cubs Start Roaring Like Adults?<\/p>\n Many of the more than 1,800 commenters agreed with @merfairy613, who wrote, “She\u2019s doing such a good job. So scary!”<\/p>\n Lion cubs<\/a> begin making tiny vocalizations almost from birth, but those adorable squeaks and mini “roars” are a far cry from the thunderous calls of adult lions. They often mimic the adults around them as they learn, which explains why this little cub was so eager to out roar her dad<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to The Big Cat Project<\/a>, cubs practice squeaks, squeals, and little roars to explore their voices and communicate with their mother<\/a>. “Even though the sound is small, it plays an important role in bonding, helping the mother locate her cubs and reassuring them that she is close by. As they grow stronger, those soft squeaks slowly develop into the powerful roar lions are famous for.”<\/p>\n For now, her tiny roar may not scare anybody, but it’s certainly winning hearts.<\/p>\n This story was originally published by PetHelpful<\/a> on Jun 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News<\/a> section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n