Lion Cub Sneakily Wakes Dad From Nap Then Bolts to Mom Like a Naughty Human Kid

Whether you walk on two legs or four, we can all agree that kids are a handful (or paw-ful) no matter what species they belong to. They may be cute, but they’re just as capable of sowing mischief and chaos when you least expect it!

Not even the mighty lion, the undisputed ruler of the African savannahs, can get a moment’s peace when a naughty cub is afoot. This chaotic kitten took advantage of their parents’ nap time to practice their stalking skills and pull a prank on their weary dad!

This was a hilarious emotional journey, in no small part because this behavior is so human kid-coded. This lion cub successfully scared the proverbial pants off their parents by startling them awake, and then as soon as they realized they may have taken it too far and made Dad mad, they immediately ran over to Mom for protection and validation. Mom seemed proud, giving the cub a kiss, which inflated the cub’s ego. The little kitty strode off proudly while their annoyed dad looked on in silent resignation, his arc as a prank victim complete. “This gosh darn kid…:

Related: Fresno Zoo Debuts Their Newest Lion Cubs to the Public for the First Time and It’s Cuteness Overload

Even if this charming family moment came at the expense of the two older lions’ naps, the cub’s mischievous antics—and their parents’ reactions—still found an appreciative and very amused audience on Instagram. As mighty as the two adult lions look to us humans, there was no question that they’d been bested by their cub.

“‘WHO DARES WAKE MY SLU- oh it’s you,'” joked @urgurlhelenmelonn.

“The mama woke up like: WHAT WHAT WHAT? Oh,” laughed @ki.2_mi.succ3ss.

Lion Cubs Love ‘Pranking’ Their Pops

This cub’s nap-ruining prank may have been naughty, but they’re really just carrying on a long-held lion cub tradition. A quick, cursory Google search will pull up dozens upon dozens of videos of lion cubs from all across Africa doing the exact same thing: sneaking up on their dads during nap time and pouncing. Tale as old as time…

I’m sure that part of the reason cubs do this is because kids seem to think it’s funny to surprise their parents while they’re trying to get some much-needed rest (as any human parent will attest). However, this kind of play serves a developmental purpose for the lion cubs as well. Stalking and pouncing are hunting behaviors that these lion cubs will rely on later in life, and while they may be too young to hunt when they’re small, they can start by practicing on safe targets like their parents!

Lion cubs don’t wait around when it comes to play-hunting. According to the San Diego Zoo, lion cubs begin mimicking hunting activities when they’re only around six weeks old. They learn by watching their mothers (since lionesses are far more active hunters than male lions) and imitating what they see—and since Dad is usually lounging around somewhere, he makes for a good sitting duck! This method of observing and imitating adult behavior is very similar to how human children learn—though of course, when human kids scare their sleeping dads, they’re doing it for fun and not as a means to practice essential survival skills!

I suppose this is the stuff you have to put up with as a parent, whether you’re a human or a lion. The price of a few ruined naps is probably worth it for these parents if it means their cub will grow up to be a great hunter one day… but man, is it annoying!