Lion cubs meet Dad – suffice it to say, the mood in the room is a little tense

The threat of "Just wait until your father gets home" must be pretty discouraging if your dad is a lion. These cubs at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden got a good idea in this video of how much they can play with their paternal parent and when it's time to scoot back to Mom.

According to Scientific American, lions actually take an easygoing, even lazy approach to fatherhood. "The female lions in the pride do all the hunting and killing for the family unit," the article says. "All the male does is stand there [and] look tough, and maybe growl or roar every now and then."

However, that protection role remains extremely crucial until the cubs are fully grown. Any intruding males wanting to mate with the lioness would need to kill off her juvenile cubs to breed. So the father lion's protection of his family plays a pretty important role.

Unfortunately, between 14 and 73 percent of wild lion cubs die before they reach two years old, according to The Animal Files. This is attributed a pride's vulnerability to attack and starvation.

These playful cubs seem to be off to a great start, though — if only they learn their lesson about how far to push their father when having fun. Be sure and pass this unforgettable video along to others crazy about big cats.