These Fighting Lions at Lincoln Park Zoo Prove Not All Cat Videos Are Cute

CHICAGO, IL — It's the dream every zoo visitor hopes to achieve: seeing these majestic creatures in captivity actually do something and perform a little dog-and-pony show — literally and/or figuratively — instead of simply lazing about in their habitats.

That's why this YouTube video is so precious. Well, not precious as in cute. But precious as in greatly valued. The video was posted to Reddit on Thursday, and it shows three lions at the Lincoln Park Zoo behaving in a way most people envision large jungle cats to behave in the wild: fierce and growling.

"I have been there at least six times this five times this year and they are always sleeping," wrote a Reddit commenter. "I think once we heard them roar but that's the most exciting thing i've witnessed."

Why the lions were tussling is unclear. But a few redditors had their own opinions. Some were based on a little research.

"I was actually at the zoo on [S]aturday and one of the volunteers told me that the male lion is a teenager and hasn't asserted dominance yet," wrote a commenter. "The two females are older and they are sisters and they like to [annoy] the male. Apparently they give him a hard time and kick him out of his favorite spots on the regular."

Others were a bit more political.

"This friggin election man …," another commenter noted.

WATCH three lions at the Lincoln Park Zoo growl and fight.

Lions at the Lincoln Park Zoo fight in a video posted to YouTube on Nov. 16, 2016. (photo via sceen capture by Alec Loudenback | YouTube)

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