Type of place
Habitat
Area
London
Status
Open
Facilities

A lift is available

Two visitors watch Asiatic lioness Arya in Land of the Lions

London Zoo’s Land of the Lions habitat transports visitors from the heart of London to India’s vibrant Sasan Gir, where they can get closer than ever before to Asiatic lions.

Land of the Lions was officially opened by HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in March 2016. It has been designed to inform, inspire and excite wildlife lovers of all ages and promises to be an experience unlike any other!

Land of the Lions at London Zoo

LionTrust at the Zoo

LionTrust logo, power, courage, pride

We've teamed up with LionTrust to build a legacy of protection for Asiatic lions out in the wild, and spread awareness and educate people about wildlife conservation. From teaching people millions of people about wildlife through our social media to directly helping us in recovering Asiatic lions in the Gir forest, LionTrust have helped us make a difference for wildlife everywhere. 

What animals live in London Zoo's Land of the Lions?

  • Asiatic lion Bhanu poses surrounded by autumn leaves
    Panthera leo persica

    Asiatic lion

    There are only several hundred Asiatic lions in the wild, and they only live in the Gir Forest, India, in an area that is smaller than Greater London.

  • A close up image of a Hanuman Langur's face at London Zoo
    Semnopithecus entellus

    Hanuman Langur

    Named after the Hindu God Hanuman, the deity of healing and worship, who is often depicted as part-man, part-monkey.

  • Ruppell's griffon vulture close up
    Gyps rueppelli

    Ruppell’s griffon vulture

    This vulture holds the record for the greatest flying height recorded for any bird.

  • All our animals
London Zoo's Land of the Lions exhibit

What else can I expect in London Zoo's Land of the Lions? 

To truly capture the essence of the lions’ forest home, the Zoo’s designers visited Gujarat in India for inspiration, and rickshaws, bicycles, sacks of spices, rangers’ huts, and even a life-size truck – much of which was sourced and shipped from India – are dotted around Land of the Lions.

Covering an expanse of 2,500sqm (27,000sqft), visitors will enter London Zoo's Land of the Lions through a grand stone archway and explore Sasan Gir Train Station – where a lion might be spotted snoozing on the tracks – before being awed by the exhibit’s incredible centrepiece, a 360° Temple Clearing where the big cats will roam just metres away.

Visit London Zoo's Land of the Lions

What inspired Land of the Lions?

Find out about how India's Gir forest and the story of humans living side by side with lions inspired the building of our Asiatic Lion habitat and discover how our designers took on the challenge of recreating a slice of India right in the heart of London.

London Zoo lodges

Stay over at the Zoo within roaring distance of our Asiatic lions!

  • Asiatic lioness Arya poses in her enclosure at London Zoo

    London Zoo Map

    Find Land of the Lions in London Zoo's orange zone

  • Sumatran tiger Gaysha walking in her Tiger Territory home at London Zoo
    Panthera tigris sondaica

    Sumatran tiger

    Sumatran tigers are smallest and rarest tiger, and they have the deepest orange colour of all the tiger subspecies.

  • Pygmy hippo at London zoo
    Choeropsis liberiensis

    Pygmy hippo

    There are less than 2500 pygmy hippos left in the wild, and they are the only surviving member of their genus.

  • Giraffes in their indoor and outdoor enclosures at London Zoo
    Giraffa camelopardalis

    Giraffe

    Giraffes have the same number of neck bones as humans – although theirs are linked by ball and socket joints enabling them far greater flexibility. 

  • Okapi at London Zoo
    Okapia johnstoni

    Okapi

    Shy and elusive animals, okapis were only discovered by western zoologists from ZSL in 1901, although were well known to the Congolese forest people before this time.

  • Visit our amazing animals at London Zoo