A baby lion is called a cub. Born with spotted fur in a communal crèche, raised by every mother in the pride.
Lions are the only cats that raise their young communally. When lionesses in a pride give birth around the same time, they form a "crèche" — a shared nursery where:
Any mother will nurse any cub — not just her own
Cubs play together, building social bonds for life
Mothers take turns watching the crèche while others hunt
Cubs learn hierarchy by interacting with the entire pride
Male lions protect the crèche from rival males
Orphaned cubs may be adopted by other nursing mothers
Born with spotted fur that camouflages them in grass
Spots fade by 3 months — only some adults keep belly spots
Cubs can purr but lose the ability as they grow (adults roar instead)
Male cubs grow manes starting at about 1 year old
Cubs practice hunting by stalking bugs and each other
A 1-year-old cub weighs about 100 lbs
Only 1 in 8 male cubs survives to adulthood
Cubs are hidden in thickets for the first 6-8 weeks