London Zoo celebrates early Mother’s Day with lioness and her cubs

LONDON (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Mother's Day arrived early at the London Zoo, with endangered Asiatic lioness Arya and her three cubs receiving scented cardboard boxes as a present, London zookeepers said Friday.

Mother's Day is celebrated on March 30 in the United Kingdom.

Footage shared by the zoo shows the cubs Mali, Syanii, and Shanti sniffing the boxes and playing with them.

In a press release, the zoo said keepers prepared the boxes "to enrich the lions' home and encourage the Zoo's family of five lions to make use of their incredible sense of smell."

London Zoo's Section Manager for big cats, Kate Sanders, said that the boxes were "the perfect way to celebrate" the cubs' bond with their mom ahead of Mother's Day.