A room with a zoo: London brings Gir forest to lion enclosure

The London Zoo began taking bookings for a new lodge it is constructing that aims to bring a flavour of an exotic safari in Gir National Park to the British capital.

London Zoo began taking bookings on Thursday for a new safari lodge that will offer visitors an exotic safari experience in the zoo’s lion enclosure.

An artist’s impression of the lodge.(ZSL London Zoo)

The “room with a zoo” is located in the Land of the Lions exhibit, which will be home to a breeding group of endangered Asiatic lions when it opens next year.

An overnight stay costs between £378 ($567, 525 euros) and £558 for two people, including a drink and two-course dinner, breakfast, an overnight stay in a lodge and a tour before the zoo opens.

An artist’s impression of ‘the room with a zoo.’ (ZSL London Zoo)

Emma Taylor, head of product development at the zoo, said in a statement on Thursday that it would be “a fantastic experience unlike any other, sleeping near to our magnificent Asiatic lions”.

Visitors will stay at the Gir Lion Lodge, a collection of nine wooden cabins “within roaring distance” inside the enclosure and surrounded by protective fence.

The accommodation design is inspired by guest houses close to the lions’ native habitat in the Gir Forest, a protected area of western India which is a safari destination and the only place where Asiatic lions remain in the wild.

Asiatic lions, which are smaller than African lions, were hunted to the brink of extinction before their population recovered to number about 500 in the wild.

London Zoo hopes that its lion exhibit will help its conservation efforts in India, where it plans to help patrolling efforts, train local staff and educate local communities.

An artist’s impression of the lodge. (ZSL London Zoo)