Two adorable lion cubs hand-reared by Kent animal park owner Damian Aspinall have moved to a public enclosure for the first time.

The Aspinall Foundation boss said he would do his best to keep Zemo and Zala alive after their mum Grace died at Howletts, near Canterbury, in June.

Keepers spotted on video footage that Grace had been in discomfort overnight, with the veterinary team at the animal park taking action straight away.

However, she was unable to regain her strength and died later in the day with mate Khari by her side.

While looking after the cubs in his mansion at Howletts, Mr Aspinall shared regular updates on their progress and even posted a picture of his daughter, Freya, having a cuddle with one of the lions.

In his most recent post about the pair, he shared a video of Zemo having a ride on his back.

The lion cub could be seen licking Damian’s hair and ear before Zala jumped up at the pair.

“Zemo loves a ride on my back. I wonder how long I will be able to do this,” he wrote alongside the footage.

“It’s too late to rewind but together we can rewild.”

Freya also helped take care of the cubs who have now moved into an enclosure opposite the lion-tailed macaques in front of the Howletts mansion.

A pair of bat-eared foxes have also joined the park, with bosses saying the new arrivals have all settled in “extremely well”.

“Zemo and Zala are the most incredible cubs,” animal director Matt Ford said.

We have cared for them since birth, due to the sad passing of their mother, it’s so rewarding to see them grow and flourish.”

Recently, it was announced the park had slashed its hours to just three days over the winter months.

It means the site is only open from Friday to Sunday between 10am and 4pm under its new winter opening times however during the Christmas holidays, Howletts is open seven days a week.