Lion Cam

The Zoo is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Entry passes are required for all guests, including infants. Plan your visit.

Watch the Smithsonian's National Zoo's lions live, 24/7 on the Lion Cam. Please note that due to technical issues, the Lion Cam does not currently have sound enabled.

Download the Animal Cam Bingo Cards (link opens in new window). These activities are designed to engage learners of all ages in looking closely and thinking deeply about animal behavior and habitats. Welcome to the wild side of learning!

To conserve bandwidth, the Zoo's webcams are set to turn off after 15 minutes of watch time. If the player times out, simply click the play button to continue.

Lion Cam FAQs

Is that a tiger on the Lion Cam?

Yes! The Great Cats exhibit (home to lions, as well as Sumatran and Amur tigers) consists of three yards that are connected by tunnels below each enclosure. Keepers have the flexibility to move the big cats around these three yards at any time. Moving the animals around is a great way to give them environmental enrichment and can be essential for management practices like breeding, so you may occasionally see a tiger on the Lion Cam.

It looks like one of the lions is limping. Is he OK?

If you have been following our lions, you may remember that Luke is undergoing treatments for a lesion on his spine. The lesion causes an occasional limp on his right front leg. About twice a week, Luke lays calmly next to the mesh of his enclosure as keepers administer deep-tissue laser therapy. He also visits the veterinary hospital occasionally for electroacupuncture and dry-needle acupuncture treatments. We began these treatments in spring 2018. Although this is a degenerative issue (meaning that, like some human ailments, it progresses with age), these treatments make Luke more comfortable and help soothe any pain he may be experiencing.

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Lion

The world's most social felines, lions roam the savannas and grasslands of the African continent, hunting cooperatively and raising cubs in prides.

Great Cats

A close-up of a male African lion with a large mane

Some of the top predators on the planet live at the Great Cats exhibit, including African lions and Sumatran tigers. At each habitat, visitors can learn about the cats’ characteristics, including social structure, hunting, reproduction and the Smithsonian's National Zoo’s efforts to care for and conserve these species.

Webcams

The Zoo's animal webcams are some of the most famous on the internet. Tune in to watch the Zoo's giant pandas, elephants, lions and naked mole-rats — live, 24/7!

Lion Cam

Is that a tiger on the Lion Cam?

It looks like one of the lions is limping. Is he OK?

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