---
title: UK Lion Duo Begin New Life in South Africa
description: The Aspinall Foundation rewilds two uk-born lion cubs to South Africa to begin a new life in the wild.
image: https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hubfs/2023%20Landing%20pages%20-%20Blogs/Azi%20and%20Zazu%20Sept%2022%20(6).jpg
---

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# The Aspinall Foundation

# UK Lion Duo Begin New Life in South Africa

Posted by [The Aspinall Foundation](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/author/the-aspinall-foundation) on 31-Jan-2023 09:47:47

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Back in Spring, the team at our partner park, Howletts, waved goodbye to a  
beloved pair of boisterous lion cubs, Azi and Zazu.

The brothers - 16-month-old Azi and 11-month-old Zazu - travelled from the  
park in early May 2022 to the dramatic bushveld landscapes of South Africa.

Azi and Zazu were born at Port Lympne Reserve but were both sadly rejected by the pride in infancy and were transferred to Howletts to be hand-raised by the dedicated Howletts team.

"We firmly believe this relocation has given Azi and Zazu the very best future: a return to the lands of their ancestors.”  
Dereck Milburn, Southern Africa Project Director

Under the team’s care, Azi and Zazu flourished and became firm favourites  
around the park. However, The Aspinall Foundation and their partners at  
Howletts and Port Lympne are committed to a shared belief that, where  
possible, animals deserve the opportunity to live in the wild. Led by this  
deep conviction, The Aspinall Foundation worked closely with the team at  
Howletts and our overseas partners to find Azi and Zazu a safe, new home.

![Azi and Zazu Sept 22 (6)](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/hs-fs/hubfs/2023%20Landing%20pages%20-%20Blogs/Azi%20and%20Zazu%20Sept%2022%20(6).jpg?width=1500&height=1125&name=Azi%20and%20Zazu%20Sept%2022%20(6).jpg)

Their destination was a specialist sanctuary run by Love Lions Alive in Free  
State province. They are now roaming an area ten times the size of their  
former enclosure and have settled into their new surroundings fantastically; running, stalking and playing as all lions should, in their ancestral homelands.

The move comes two years after The Aspinall Foundation’s successful  
translocation of two cheetah brothers from Howletts to South Africa’s  
Western Cape.

The lions are now thriving in their new environment and feeding enthusiastically, with their favourite meal being a full venison carcass. As they settle into life in Africa on the golden plains of Free State Province, the  
Love Lions Alive and Aspinall Foundation teams are prepaing a larger area for them.

[![Help us rewild even more animals >>](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2756589/d92f6981-49a8-40f4-9a53-cf54ad69df23.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2756589/d92f6981-49a8-40f4-9a53-cf54ad69df23)

 Topics: [The Aspinall Foundation](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/topic/the-aspinall-foundation), [lion](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/topic/lion), [south africa](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/topic/south-africa), [rewilding](https://blog.aspinallfoundation.org/topic/rewilding)

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