The new Lion Pride Lands is set to launch at Easter. The 3.8 hectare precinct will be home to eight African lions. There’ll be two exhibits on the Pride Lands, as well as a visitor area which replicates an African Maasai village.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo director Steve Hinks said Easter and the school holiday period would be an incredibly exciting time for the zoo as the Lion Pride Lands opened.

“There’s been a huge amount of anticipation for this opening for some time now and our visitors will have seen construction taking shape from the zoo circuit. We are delighted with the finished product and we’re looking forward to sharing this amazing experience with our visitors,” he said.

The lions on display will include male Lazarus, lioness Maya, two sub-adult females and four juvenile male cubs.

There’ll be an uninterrupted view of the lions with floor to ceiling glass windows or visitors will be able to take the Pride Lands Patrol – a purpose built safari truck which will run guided tours multiple times a day. 

“Overall, Lion Pride Lands takes visitors on a journey through an African Maasai village, highlighting the plight of African lions in the wild and their role as apex predators, living in close proximity to domestic livestock including goats,” Mr Hinks said.

“With lion populations in the wild experiencing a significant decline in recent years, and just 20,000 lions remaining in the wild today, Lion Pride Lands will raise much-needed awareness and knowledge about this incredible species.”

As well as the new lion exhibit there’s also a rare Przewalski’s Horse foal, a four-and-a-half-month old southern black rhino calf and two black-handed spider monkey babies.