PREVIEW

Asiatic lions and meerkats have gotten into the Halloween spirit this week, as ‘Boo at the Zoo’ takes over London Zoo.

Joining in with the seasonal fun was the Zoo’s appropriately named meerkat Dracula, along with fellow meerkats Penelope and Frank. The trio woke up to find their home containing creepily carved pumpkins, each filled with mealworms.

Meanwhile, London Zoo’s seven-month-old Endangered Asiatic lion cubs, Mali, Syanii and Shanti, got their very first taste of pumpkin spice, as they sniffed and played with their very own pumpkin patch, complete with a dusting of ground clove and ginger to stimulate their incredible sense of smell and playfully inquisitive nature.

Daniel Simmonds, Zoo Operations Manager, said: “Families have been flocking to London Zoo for our Boo at the Zoo half-term celebrations, enjoying pumpkin carving workshops, toasted marshmallows and popcorn, and our zookeepers want to make sure the animals don’t miss out on the fun.

“The Halloween pumpkins add variety to the homes of our lions and meerkats and encourage their exploratory instincts. For our lion cubs Mali, Syanii and Shanti, it’s their first time seeing pumpkins, so it was exciting to see what they made of them and the fun they had rolling them around.”