Would you pay £387 to spend night with the lions of London Zoo?
FORGET exotic safaris or jungle trails – soon a sleepover with a pride of lions will be just a train journey away.
London Zoo is building a guest lodge inside its new enclosure which is to open in spring next year.
But waking up to the roars of Asiatic lions doesn’t come cheap – at almost £400 a couple for one night.
The £5.7million redevelopment of the lion enclosure will give the animals 2,500 sq metres (27,000 sq ft) of space to roam in – more than five times the area they currently have.
Once the revamp is complete, visitors will be able to don safari suits and stay overnight at the Gir Lion Lodge.
Safety measures will ensure there is no direct contact between humans and animals, but the zoo promises guests will be ‘a whisker away’ from the lions.
The cost of an overnight stay in what the zoo describes as ‘the Land of the Lions’ will make a significant dent in your pocket – starting at £378 for a couple.
But this is still cheaper than flying to the Gir Forest in India, the natural habitat of the Asiatic lions where only around 400 remain in the wild.
Accommodation at the zoo is limited to just nine private cabins, with décor inspired by the guest houses in Sasan Gir on the edge of the Indian forest. The zoo promises guests a sumptuous meal as well as an evening tour of the enclosure. Tickets go on sale on Saturday and the first overnight stays begin in May next year.
In the morning guests – having awoken to roaring beasts outside – will be treated to breakfast and an exclusive morning tour to see the animals before the zoo opens to visitors.
The new enclosure will also house a project to breed more of the endangered lions to help their survival.
The zoo’s lionesses, five-year-old Ruby and three-year- old twins Heidi and Indi, are staying at Whipsnade Zoo’s 600-acre site in Bedfordshire while the new enclosure is being built.
Meanwhile Lucifer, the 12-yearold, 30-stone male of the pride is living at Paignton Zoo. It is the first time in living memory that London Zoo has been without lions.
Emma Taylor, head of product development, said: ‘London Zoo is a magical place at night – we wanted people of all ages to have a chance to enjoy that magic, and immerse themselves in a fantastic experience unlike any other, sleeping near to our magnificent Asiatic lions.
‘It’s hard to believe you’re in the heart of the capital when you’re surrounded by the noises of the wild.
‘ Staying overnight at the Gir Lion Lodge will give guests the chance to explore the zoo on a hosted tour, while helping to fund our work for wildlife around the world.’
As well as the lodge, the zoo is recreating the ‘hustle and bustle’ of a modern Indian village within the enclosure – which will include an Indian train station, a conservation centre for rangers and an abandoned ancient fort.
The zoo recently appealed for props that might help the recreation, including ‘old, well-used bikes’, vintage weighing scales, old benches and Indian decorations such as plastic garlands.
There have been lions at London Zoo since 1832, with the first ones brought in from a menagerie at the Tower of London. Records show that lions have been kept at the Tower since 1210.