Cotswold Wildlife Park's lions Rana and Kanha made 'comforting calls to one another' as they explored a brand-new home.
Professor of Wildlife Conservation at the University of Oxford, Amy Dickman, officially cut the ribbon at the park's brand-new Lion House which was a year in the making.
The park's Asiatic lions Rana and Kanha are now enjoying their indoor facility which includes a large on-show communal space, which is larger than the whole of the previous Lion House which was built in 1996 originally as a Tiger House.
There are two private dens as well as an outside holding area.
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Mammal keeper James Welch, whose brainchild it was, said: "Lions are incredibly social but they also like their own personal space from time to time.
"Rana and Kanha are no different and this whole facility has been designed to give the lions the opportunity to have multiple options and increased flexibility.
"We have seen lots of positive behaviours between the pair over the last few weeks as they have explored all of the new areas together and all of its new features."
Rana and Kanha started to explore straightaway, scent marking, rolling and scratching around all parts of the building.
He said: "They were very reliant on following each other into new parts of the building with comforting calls to one another from time to time.
"This was lovely to see and shows the social nature of these animals.
"During the introductory process into our new facility, Rana and Kanha have shown lots of affiliative behaviours.
"We have seen loads of head rubbing and grooming as well as lots of rolling and playing.
"Lions are very tactile animals and display their bond this way by sharing their scent - this is something Rana and Kanha have displayed in all of their new areas.
"They have been a reassuring and comforting presence to each other when investigating these new areas. Both have settled in extremely well and are clearly already very comfortable."
He added: "This new facility reflects everything that we have learned about keeping lions at the park and I couldn't be more pleased about how well the lions have taken to it."
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The Lion House was the park's first major new construction since the Giraffe House was built in 2010 to mark Cotswold Wildlife Park's 40th anniversary.
It is hoped it will become a focal point to raise awareness of the plight of the animals in the wild.
Prof Dickman, a conservation biologist and joint chief executive of Lion Landscapes, said: "Wild population numbers have declined by over 40 per cent in around 20 years.
"It's really unfortunate but there are probably only about six big lion populations left in the world today and so when people think of endangered species, they tend to think of gorillas or elephants but actually lions are in serious trouble and we need people to be more aware of that."
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