The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh opened London Zoo's new Land of the Lions
enclosure, where some of the big cats thought the royal guests might be lunch
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh opened a new lion enclosure at London Zoo today, and at least one of the big cats appeared to think lunch had arrived early.
Behind the Queen's back, an Asiatic lioness licked her lips a few feet
away from the royal guests as she looked at the VIP visitors.
And when the zoo's boss tried to make a speech, the Queen and the Duke
were distracted by the sound of two young twin lions growling as they
fought over a scrap of meat.
The royal couple were at the zoo to open the 27,000sq ft Land of the Lions enclosure, due to open to the public on Good Friday, which is five times the size of the previous enclosure. It includes an overhead walkway, re-creations of an Indian train station, abandoned forts, a crumbling temple and an Indian high street.
Professor Sir John Major Beddington, president of the Zoological
Society of London, was making a speech when twins Heidi and Indi began
fighting with each other in the enclosure.
The 89-year-old monarch and the Duke, 94, kept looking behind them, as the two lions quarrelled.
It was the only lapse in behaviour from the twins and their elder sister, Rubi, who had all been trained for five weeks to come out for visitors and prowl around the food set out for them as a lure. Among the titbits set out for them were chicken wings and slices of horse meat.
The Queen, who has been Patron of the zoo since 1952 and has been going to it since she was a little girl, and the Duke, president of the Zoological Society of London from 1960 to 1977, seemed to enjoy their trip down memory lane.
They were given a photo of themselves standing in almost the same spot 40 years ago opening the then lion terraces. "We look a bit different," the Queen said, to philanthropist Dame Vivien Duffield, 59, and her daughter Arabella, both pictured with her in 1976 when a young mother and four-year-old girl.
Arabella, whose family helped fund the orginal lion enclosure, can no longer recall the day but knows the picture well. "It was my big moment. I peaked at the age of four," se said. "The Queen looks incredible and has definitely aged better than me."
The royal couple met zoo staff and designers of the new enclosure, which is designed to look, sound and smell like the Gir Forest in western India, home to the surviving 500-strong population of Asiatic lions.
"You've still got your hands, arms and legs?" Philip asked a group of keepers to laughter.
Veterinary nurse Karla Berry seemed less sure whether the Duke of Edinburgh was being serious when he asked her she and her colleagues groomed the big cats. "There's no need. Like all cats, they are very good at grooming themselves," she said, before agreeing that giving them a good brush and clean-up might be a job more dangerous than was good for her.
By this time, the three female lions were on their best behaviour. "It's nice to see them enjoying it and the Queen enjoying seeing them," said senior keeper Teague Stubbington.
Their intended mate, Bhanu, a five-year-old male lion had been kept in his own enclosure away from the royal visitors and from the females who will soon form the rest of his pride.
"They can smell him and see and hear him but they haven't been in together yet," said Teague. "They'll meet him and form the pride in the next couple of months.
At least the Duke, long interested in the Asiatic lion, got to see the animals up close. He recalled going to the Gir Forest on a frustrating trip years ago. "We drove around and around all day but didn't see a single lion," he told one zoo official.
In recognition of his long interest in the Asiatic lion, he was given a reproduction of a drawing of the Maneless Lion of Gujarat, a watercolour painted by the poet Edward Lear in 1835 when he worked at the zoo and was asked to produce an illustration for the first talk describing the Asiatic lion.
The zoo, which works closely with conservationists in India and around the world, hopes that its breeding programme will help safeguard the future of the species.
BBC Springwatch presenters Chris Packham and Bill Oddie attended the unveiling, along with hundreds of visitors.
Packham said he saw the animals as ambassadors for their wild counterparts. Praising the display, he said: "The wire they've got there is virtually translucent - you can just see right through it.
"You're only three metres away from a very powerful predator. They've done a great job."
The presenter said he would prefer to bed down in one of ZSL's overnight lodges overlooking the lion enclosure, rather than stay at the Ritz.
source
The 89-year-old monarch and the Duke, 94, kept looking behind them, as the two lions quarrelled.
It was the only lapse in behaviour from the twins and their elder sister, Rubi, who had all been trained for five weeks to come out for visitors and prowl around the food set out for them as a lure. Among the titbits set out for them were chicken wings and slices of horse meat.
The Queen, who has been Patron of the zoo since 1952 and has been going to it since she was a little girl, and the Duke, president of the Zoological Society of London from 1960 to 1977, seemed to enjoy their trip down memory lane.
They were given a photo of themselves standing in almost the same spot 40 years ago opening the then lion terraces. "We look a bit different," the Queen said, to philanthropist Dame Vivien Duffield, 59, and her daughter Arabella, both pictured with her in 1976 when a young mother and four-year-old girl.
Arabella, whose family helped fund the orginal lion enclosure, can no longer recall the day but knows the picture well. "It was my big moment. I peaked at the age of four," se said. "The Queen looks incredible and has definitely aged better than me."
The royal couple met zoo staff and designers of the new enclosure, which is designed to look, sound and smell like the Gir Forest in western India, home to the surviving 500-strong population of Asiatic lions.
"You've still got your hands, arms and legs?" Philip asked a group of keepers to laughter.
Veterinary nurse Karla Berry seemed less sure whether the Duke of Edinburgh was being serious when he asked her she and her colleagues groomed the big cats. "There's no need. Like all cats, they are very good at grooming themselves," she said, before agreeing that giving them a good brush and clean-up might be a job more dangerous than was good for her.
By this time, the three female lions were on their best behaviour. "It's nice to see them enjoying it and the Queen enjoying seeing them," said senior keeper Teague Stubbington.
Their intended mate, Bhanu, a five-year-old male lion had been kept in his own enclosure away from the royal visitors and from the females who will soon form the rest of his pride.
"They can smell him and see and hear him but they haven't been in together yet," said Teague. "They'll meet him and form the pride in the next couple of months.
At least the Duke, long interested in the Asiatic lion, got to see the animals up close. He recalled going to the Gir Forest on a frustrating trip years ago. "We drove around and around all day but didn't see a single lion," he told one zoo official.
In recognition of his long interest in the Asiatic lion, he was given a reproduction of a drawing of the Maneless Lion of Gujarat, a watercolour painted by the poet Edward Lear in 1835 when he worked at the zoo and was asked to produce an illustration for the first talk describing the Asiatic lion.
The zoo, which works closely with conservationists in India and around the world, hopes that its breeding programme will help safeguard the future of the species.
BBC Springwatch presenters Chris Packham and Bill Oddie attended the unveiling, along with hundreds of visitors.
Packham said he saw the animals as ambassadors for their wild counterparts. Praising the display, he said: "The wire they've got there is virtually translucent - you can just see right through it.
"You're only three metres away from a very powerful predator. They've done a great job."
The presenter said he would prefer to bed down in one of ZSL's overnight lodges overlooking the lion enclosure, rather than stay at the Ritz.
source
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