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Watch two lions getting to grips with a tricky new toy

The lions at Denver Zoo really got their teeth into it.
The lions at Denver Zoo really got their teeth into it. The lions at Denver Zoo really got their teeth into it.

They say lions are just house cats at heart – and this playful pair from Denver Zoo prove that, and then some.

A video posted by the zoo shows Usiku, along with late arrival Bahati, interacting with a new balancing piece of equipment in their enclosure.

"J Moody" fun!Our team at Benson Predator Ridge is always thinking creatively when it comes to enrichment for our social carnivores! Zookeeper Molly took this video of Usiku (joined by Bahati at the end) interacting with a toy called a “J-Moody,” that the keepers modified with a ball on the top to make it more fun for the lions.Posted by Denver Zoo on Sunday, September 30, 2018

Like a tabby playing with a scratching post.

From two prides of lions currently living at the zoo, Usiku and Bahati are two of four brothers that moved to Denver in 2016 aged one as part of a conservation programme.

The zoo’s Benson Predator Ridge is where the big cats hang out.

“Our team at Benson Predator Ridge is always thinking creatively when it comes to enrichment for our social carnivores,” the zoo wrote in its Facebook post.

“Zookeeper Molly took this video of Usiku (joined by Bahati at the end) interacting with a toy called a ‘J-Moody,’ that the keepers modified with a ball on the top to make it more fun for the lions.”