This summer Longleat Safari Park saw the birth of two sea lion pups. One of the few collections of California sea lions outside of the United States, Longleat now bosts eight boisterous sea lions.

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Longleat Safari keepers were delighted when not one but two of their sea lions gave birth earlier this month.
The two youngsters, both female, join the six-strong colony of Californian sea lions who reside in the freshwater alongside Longleat House.
The older of the two pups was born to first time mum Zook whilst for Sealia, it was pup number eight.
Keeper Mark Tye said “We had hoped that Sealia would be first to give birth as she would set an example to new mum Zook. Zook led the way though and is already proving to be the perfect mum.
“Not only is she relaxed with the company of the other sea lions but she also seems more than happy with the attention that the visitors are paying her youngster. She is spending much of her time sunbathing on the wooden jetty and we are ensuring that both she and Sealia are getting plenty of fish as they nurse their two babies”.
Sea lions carry their pups for 12-months and can give birth on land or in water. Although pups generally nurse for up to six months, they will learn to swim and hunt with their mothers from about two months.
Sea lions were first introduced into at Longleat in the late 1960s and are believed to be one of the few colonies of Californian sea lions living successfully in freshwater.
Keepers supplement their fish diet – each sea lion eats around three and a half kilos of mackerel a day – with salt tablets to mimic a seawater habitat.
The sea lions share their home with two Ugandan hippopotamus, Spot and Sonia, and Nico, a Lowland Mountain Gorilla, who oversees proceedings from his waterside home.