Work has started on a new two acre lion enclosure at Five Sisters Zoo in West Lothian for Simba, Mufasa, Sangaka and Tiny who are being temporarily housed in a Rescue Centre in Belgium.

In May 2014 the four male lions were confiscated by the Belgian Government from “Zavatta” a travelling French Circus who were performing in the City of Luik; a french speaking area of Belgium.

The reason they were confiscated was that since March 2014, Belgian Law forbids the use of wild animals in circuses. Despite Government Inspectors of Animal Welfare warning the circus of this fact on 3 occasions, the circus simply laughed at the officials and refused to stop performing.

A few days after the final warning, Government officials confiscated the circus trailer and drove it to a Belgian rescue centre that were able to facilitate the emergency temporary homing of confiscated animals. The centre was able to assess the lions and since May, has provided a safe and secure area for them. Since then the Centre has been desperately trying to find a permanent home for them as they are not able to keep them indefinitely.

It was planned that they would be brought to West Lothian in June this year, however due to lack of funding, this has been put back until later in the year.

When the lions finally arrive, Almond Housing Association will be running a competition giving a number of tenants the opportunity to spend the day at the Zoo during the October school holidays.

www.almondha.org.uk