Two lions at the Isle of Wight Wildheart Animal Sanctuary are back in their pride of place after their iconic rock was swapped for a new one.
After many years of standing proud in the centre of the sanctuary, Vigo and Kumba's rock collapsed earlier this summer.
The sanctuary said 'significant damage' was caused by harsh winters and wild winds blowing in from the English Channel.
Thanks to work from contractors, the lion brothers can now stand tall once again.
Lawrence Bates, Wildheart Animal Sanctuary Chief Operating Officer, said:
“Kumba and Vigo are no ordinary lions and when their original rock collapsed we decided that only the best would do so we set about creating something very special for them.
"We can’t thank the team behind the project enough for turning it around so quickly and getting the lion brothers right back where they belong – in pride of place on top of their incredible new iconic rock.”
The old rock was a solid formation but steps have been taken to completely rebuild it with an improved concept encompassing a cave and a more naturalistic design.
This has added complexity and interest to Kumba and Vigo’s habitat, encouraging a greater range of behaviours whilst returning that all important vantage point for them.
The moment Vigo and Kumba ventured onto their new rock.
The structure was designed to recreate the natural African boulders or ‘Kopje’ that wild Lions seek as a focal point in their territory and was based on an original hand drawn sketch by Wildheart Animal Sanctuary’s Facilities Manager, Darren Carter-Smith.
The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary worked with a team of construction experts to bring our vision to life and build the new rock in an exceptionally tight timeframe to ensure Kumba and Vigo were only kept out of their habitat for a short period.
The sanctuary said:
"We were humbled that Chris Carless and Tom Holden from Island Carpentry Ltd kindly donated their labour and a substantial percentage of materials used in the construction of the timber platform which was used to shape and support the faux rockwork structure around it.
"We were lucky enough to work with Alan Bishop from Themeworks Ltd, one of the country’s top theming companies specialising in bespoke, hand finished faux rockwork who worked tirelessly to complete the works ahead of schedule in a searing heatwave."
"Reynolds and Read built the earth mound surrounding the rock."
Finding a high vantage point is crucial for lions as they will survey their territory on the lookout for the movement of prey or presence of competitors.
Having access to different levels and features is crucial in a lion’s habitat because it gives them choice and environmental enrichment, and an elevated position for Kumba and Vigo will encourage those natural behaviours.
Another important behavioural repertoire for these territorial big cats is to announce themselves as owners of their territory, warning off any potential intruders which may threaten their pride. They do this by getting into a high position and roaring. Lion roars have been recorded as loud as 114 decibels and can be heard from up to 10km away – which local residents of the Isle of Wight will testify to!
Visitors to the sanctuary can see Kumba and Vigo’s new rock daily throughout the summer – but there is an army of webcam watchers who follow the action on www.wildheartanimalsanctuary.org from as far afield as Humberside, Scotland and even a fan from Nova Scotia!
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