Aw, come on dad - you promised! Adorable video shows lion cub triplets pestering their weary father Zawadi... who is in no mood to join in the fun 

  • The cubs in Oregon zoo in the U.S. want to play with dad Zawadi
  • But he just wants some down time as he stretches out on a rock
  • Just in case things get a bit rough, the mother watches nearby 

By John Hutchinson for MailOnline

Published: 13:47 EST, 13 July 2015 | Updated: 14:12 EST, 13 July 2015

Sometimes after a hard day's work, all we want to do is set down and relax.

So spare a thought for this adult lion featured in a video shot at Oregon Zoo in the U.S.

Far from being afforded the luxury of a period of relaxation, he is pestered by three lion cub triplets, who are full of energy.

The young cubs like the idea of playing with their dad, but he is none too pleased

The young cubs like the idea of playing with their dad, but he is none too pleased

'We were confident that Zawadi would be tolerant of his cubs right away, and we're glad we were right because the cubs rushed him as soon as they saw him,' said Laura Weiner, lead Africa keeper. 

'At first he was surprised but as time passed he grew more patient. A few days later, he was grooming them.'

As Zawadi towered over them from the top of the Predators of the Serengeti habitat, the cubs' mother Neka, and the pride's other female Kya, were close by.

'Within minutes he had five female lions swarming him, and I think all of that attention must have been overwhelming because he quickly jumped onto a boulder,' Weiner said.

A video from that first outdoor encounter shows Zawadi holding his place on the boulder as the cubs repeatedly showered him with attention. The pride has continued spending time together outdoors, where they've also shared meals. The cubs—now ten times their birth weight—rarely nurse.

Sadly for the adult male, there was never going to be any chance of a period of rest here

Sadly for the adult male, there was never going to be any chance of a period of rest here

It's difficult to tell whether this is a warning from the father, or perhaps it's just a yawn

It's difficult to tell whether this is a warning from the father, or perhaps it's just a yawn

Keepers say lion cub Zalika - who had a mild temperament in her infancy - is especially playful with Zawadi, jumping on him and biting his mane.

There are a few tense moments where the huge beast bares his teeth as the young pups clamber around him, at one point one clambers onto his back.

But thankfully it all seems harmless fun. 

Thankfully there were no injuries from the encounter as the cubs wanted to play games with their ferocious father

Thankfully there were no injuries from the encounter as the cubs wanted to play games with their ferocious father

The adult male is forced to navigate to a different spot to escape the pestering of the cubs

The adult male is forced to navigate to a different spot to escape the pestering of the cubs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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