Woodland Park Zoo says a 3-year-old lion has given birth to four cubs. It's the first birth of lions at the Seattle zoo in 20 years.

The zoo says the mother, Adia (AH-dee-uh), and cubs are secluded in a maternity den to allow them to bond after the Thursday night birth. The father is the zoo's 13-year-old lion, Hubert.

Staffers are monitoring the litter by web cam. Cubs typically weigh about 3 pounds at birth.

The zoo's lions belong to the South African subspecies. Those lions range in weight from 260 to 400 pounds. A 13-year-old female lion also lives in Woodland Park's African Savanna.

Zoo mammal curator Martin Ramirez says the cubs will be out for public viewing when they are a little older and more mobile - and when outdoor temperatures are a minimum 50 degrees.