A lion’s roar is one of the most powerful and frightening sounds in the world. However, lion cubs aren’t born with that ferocious roar; it takes lots of practice. And before that? They make the sweetest, cutest sound ever.
Lions and tigers are known for their growls and roars that no one would want to come across in the wild. But, what makes their roar so special? How are they so loud and scary?
According to Smithsonian, “In most species, the vocal folds are shaped like triangles where they protrude into the animal’s airway. But in lions and tigers, the protrusions are flat and shaped like a square, courtesy of the fat deep within the vocal fold ligament. This shape allows the tissue to respond more easily to passing air, letting the kitties roar louder with less lung pressure. A lion or tiger can roar as loud as 114 decibels, about 25 times louder than a gas-powered lawn mower.”
Lions also have many different types of roars and growls. Some are meant to ward off predators or to let animals (or people) that they are getting too close. Other roars or grunts can be communication with their pride. Apparently, they often roar to help settle spats!
“When two members of the pride start to have a little spat, the rest of the pride will roar/oof. There’s immense social pressure to roar back; in time, the two cats with an issue will roar, as well. After all the roaring, the two cats seem to forget why they were fighting in the first place. It’s like taking time off and counting to ten,” according to the Conservator’s Center.
The tiny little lion cub in this video is trying its best to practice its roar — but instead of being scary, it’s literally the most adorable sound to ever exist.
As the small lion cub awkwardly walks down a pathway, the camera is rolling. It’s obvious that the little cub is only a couple weeks old. He’s a far cry from the regal King of the Jungle that he will grow up to be. Right now, all you want to do is cuddle with him!
As the cub attempts to go for a roar, what comes out instead sounds more like a tiny cough coming from a small child. It’s adorably hilarious. The little cub tries again and again, but not much comes out. Just a lot of cuteness.
The precious lion cub has a while before he’s mastered his fierce and ferocious roar. Until then — we’ll be playing the video below on repeat all day long.
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