Longleat's lions are famous throughout the world. They've been important at Longleat Safari Park since it opened in 1966.
Longleat has two dominant male lions, each of which has its own pride of females and cubs. Because lions are territorial, the two prides are kept separated. When you drive through the Safari Park, park staff will open one the gates of one pride's enclosure at a time to allow a few cars in. The individuals that of Longleat's prides came from were originally brought to the park from different zoological collections around Europe. Over the years, the Longleat breeding program has produced a distinctive looking lion. When fully grown, male Longleat lions have a fine black mane.
