East Sussex zoo welcome first ever Eurasian lynx duo

The pair have been settling into new surroundings at Drusillas Park

Author: Ryan BurrowsPublished 30th May 2023

For the first time ever, an East Sussex zoo has welcomed the arrival of two Eurasian lynx.

The two-year-old brothers were transferred to Drusillas Park near Alfriston on May 24th from the Wild Place Project in Bristol.

The felines' arrival has been a year in the making, with a quarter of a million pound enclosure being built to recreate their native European woodland habitat - which also includes quiet spaces, air filtration systems, CCTV to monitor their behaviour.

The brothers have been pouncing around exploring their new home since their arrival, which includes a waterfall feature which the cats have already been seen playing in.

Teams at Drusillas Park have built their new arrivals a special enclosure

Head Keeper at Drusillas Park, Gemma Romanis, said:

“It’s always huge news welcoming a new species to the Park, and our team are so excited to work with Europe’s largest wild cat, and for Drusillas to be home to a European carnivore.”

“It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to work with such an incredible species, for many of our team for the first time, and I can’t wait to start building up a relationship with the boys, introduce some training, and see them flourish here at the Park.

“We have been working really hard over the last nine months to ensure everything is perfect for them, from enclosure design to diet plans, enrichment and training programmes, and also chatting at length with their previous keepers and the wider zoo community to really learn how we can guarantee their needs are met."

Keepers say the creatures are settling well into their new environment

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