London Zoo's pride of Asiatic lions enjoyed a roaringly good time, as they were treated to a special enrichment bonanza in celebration of World Lion Day 2025 on Sunday. Zookeepers transformed the lion habitat into a party paradise, complete with colourful spiced-covered bunting and boomer balls, designed to stimulate natural behaviours and keep the pride mentally and physically active. The smells from the brightly coloured enrichment enticed the teenage trio of lions, boys Mali, Syanii and their sister Shanti, over to Land of the Lions' Gir Station Platform, where visitors were able to witness some of the playful natural behaviour of last year's lion cubs. All three showed interest in different items - Syanii was set on tearing down the World Lion Day sign and bunting, and Mali was fixated on boomer balls hanging down from the platform, while sister Shanti decided she wanted to play with everything. Mum Arya inspected the new items, but quickly decided it was time for a lie down - not to keepers' surprise as lions can sleep for around 20 hours a day. Dad Bhanu was late to the party but couldn't resist having a kick around with one of the boomer balls. The colourful enrichment matched the beautiful surroundings of Land of the Lions (sponsored by the Liontrust) which was carefully designed to replicate Sasan Gir, with a bustling Indian high street, vibrant murals, a ruined temple and a replica train station. But beyond the festivities, there's a powerful story of hope to tell. Thanks to the tireless efforts of conservation charities - including ZSL, which runs London Zoo - and the work of local partners and supportive governments, the population of Asiatic lions in the wild increased from an estimated 300 in 1990 to over 600 in 2020. Recent data from Indian authorities, released earlier this year, shows that the number may have grown even higher since 2020 to almost 900. This recovery is a remarkable conservation success, but the journey is far from over.