The lion baby Tatu was born on July 25, 2019 and has since charmed visitors and staff alike at Denver Zoo. The curious, playful, and sweet-looking cub has become a star on social media; no sooner had staff published a video on the future lion king, thousands of hearts melted.

Tatu is mom Neliah’s third cub. He already weighs 12 pounds and his birth is more significant than you might think.

DenverZoo.org reports: “Half of Africa’s lions have disappeared in the past 25 years and the species faces growing threats from poaching, loss of prey and habitat destruction. The cub’s birth is a huge success for the Lion Species Survival Plan (SSP), which ensures healthy, genetically diverse populations of lions within Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institutions.”