By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
In 2017, a pair of female lions were brought to the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo to be companions for Luke, the male lion. For years, zookeepers tried to peacefully introduce the lions to each other to share the exhibit. In 2021, an aggressive interaction led the zoo staff to keep them separated and take turns on which animals were out in the yard.
A second exhibit was created next to the existing lion yard this past winter so all the lions can be out at the same time. Zoo Curator Ashley Burdick still monitors the large cats’ interaction.
"Somedays they will be lying by each other and other days they'll be a little grumpy toward each other," said Burdick. "It depends on the day."
The Great Bend Zoological Society purchased the second lion exhibit. Through the city’s quality-of-life sales tax funds, the zoo is also adding sidewalk and new fencing around the lion exhibit.
"We built the exhibit that way in case we ever did decide they could coexist in one yard," said Burdick. "The middle wall could come down and it would be one big yard. Also for future planning, if we get a different group of lions then we could have one big yard if we needed it."