It’s a boy!  And a girl!  And another boy!  A small contingent of zoo staff (keeper, general curator and Zoo Veterinarian, Dr. David Sells) paid their first formal visit to the new lion cub trio Tuesday morning.  The cubs are thriving under the watchful eye of first-time mother, Amali.  Amali was separated briefly from her litter so that staff could conduct physicals on the cubs, determine their gender, and take some baby pictures.  The male cubs weighed 11.5 and 10.5 pounds, while the female cub weighed in at 11.5 pounds.  When the exam team first arrived on scene, the cubs were snuggled cozily together.  As staff prepared to start the exams the little female was surreptitiously sneaking away.  Separating herself from her brothers actually made it easier to gather her up first for the examination, which she handled calmly.  The first boy we looked at was very mellow and easy going, while the third cub, also a boy, was all noise and attitude.  By studying their color patterns staff will determine ways to tell them apart from a distance, but personality will also be an identifying factor.  Once the physicals were completed, Mom watched warily until the last of the team left the barn before going to her cubs.                                The cubs are just over a month old and will soon start to follow their mother.  When they are following well, Mom and babies will get to explore the great out of doors, making their greatly anticipated public debut.  But for the time being, we are delighted to be able to share the following photos taken during their initial check-up.  In addition to venturing outside, the cubs also have vaccinations and solid food to look forward to in the near future.