A lion’s roar is certainly one of the most impressive things about them. Not only does the noise assert power, but it is probably a source of fear for many wild animals – owing to the fact that lions are some of the most successful predators out there.
But unsurprisingly, lions are not born with their almighty roar. Like puppies learning how to bark, it takes some time and practice before a lion cub is able to roar. Though with that being said, it certainly won’t stop them from trying.
When footage was released showing the sweetest little lion cub practicing his roar, our hearts instantly melted. The sweet little guy tries his best to make the impressive sound that his mom and dad make, but instead, the cutest little noise comes out.
The video was shared onto YouTube by Chubby-Fish, and since being shared it has been viewed by over 10 million people all over the world. Titled, “The littlest roar,” the cute clip shows a tiny lion cub beginning his quest into adulthood.
The little cub seems to be trying his absolute hardest to produce a roar. He’s seen his mom and dad do it, and he knows exactly what noise that he needs to make. But as he opens his mouth and tries, it’s just not sounding quite right.
Instead of an impressive almighty roar coming out, the lion produces a noise that can only be described as a squeak – and it’s so adorable!
The poor little guy has a long way to go before he can finally roar, but this cute clip got us questioning how lions are able to produce a roar in the first place.
Well, 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.”
And while we always thought that a lion’s roar was purely used to intimidate other animals, it turns out that there’s a much more complex reason behind the noise.
Conservator’s Center tell us that, “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.”
We can now totally see why the little cub in the video is feeling the pressure to roar. Not only does he want to impress his family and friends, but roaring is something which has become programmed into lions in many different kinds of social situations.
It’s hard to think that something this small and cute will grow up to be fierce and dangerous! Watch the sweet video below for yourself.
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