Lucifer the 30 stone lion gets health check at London Zoo before moving to new home

ucifer, a 30-stone (190 kilograms) male Asian lion, is surrounded by London Zoo’s team of vets and keepers. They carried out a health check ahead of moving him to a new home.

After being anaesthetised, he was given a thorough examination while he lay in his enclosure. Vets checked his stomach, chest and even peered inside his mouth to check Lucifer’s razor sharp teeth.

The 11 year-old lion is heading to another breeding group next week, as the Zoological Society of London launches its Lions 400 campaign.

His female cubs will remain with the Zoo to begin a new breeding group, which visitors will be able to see when the new exhibit opens in 2016.

Difficult words: anaesthetise (put asleep), enclosure (area surrounded by a wall or fence), peer (to look carefully at something).