‘Instant connection with lots of affectionate head rubbing’

Breeding hopes as rare lions bond nicely after arrival at zoo

- BY GARY PORTER [e-mail] @GPorterJourno

TWO of the world's rarest lions have arrived at Chester Zoo - and they've formed an “instant connection”.

The new arrivals are part of efforts to protect the highly endangered animals from extinction.

The pair, a male named Nilay, who has travelled from Koln Zoo in Germany, and a female named Shanti, who has arrived from London Zoo, have been carefully matched following detailed genetic analysis as part of an international conservation breeding programme. Conservationists are hopeful that they'll go on to have cubs in the future.

Chester Zoo has been identified as a key player in helping to safeguard the long-term survival of Asiatic lions, which number fewer than 900 individuals in the wild.

Now, carnivore experts have released the first images of the iconic cats exploring their expansive new home, which has been specially designed to recreate the dry forests and scrublands of India’s Gir Forest - the only place on earth where Asiatic lions still exist in the wild.