An animal park owner bid an emotional farewell to two lions he helped hand-rear with his daughter.

Damien Aspinall vowed to do his best to keep Zemo and Zala alive after their mum Grace died at Howletts, near Canterbury, last year.

He hand-reared the cubs in his mansion at the park before they were moved to a public enclosure in December last year.

The Aspinall Foundation boss and his conservationist daughter Freya shared regular updates on social media about their progress and have often been captured cuddling with the lions.

But on Monday, the father-daughter team bid an emotional farewell to the duo as they were transferred to a wildlife sanctuary thousands of miles away.

An Aspinall Foundation spokesperson said: "We are proud to have translocated two lions from Howletts Wild Animal Park a reality this week.

“The sibling pair have travelled more than 6,000 miles to a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa, where they will be housed in a five-acre naturalistic enclosure to adjust to their new surroundings.

“It is the beginning of a whole new chapter for the lions, bettering their welfare and quality of life.

“Our chairman Damian Aspinall and his daughter Freya hand-reared these animals after their mother sadly passed away when they were only two days old and have travelled with them to help the pair settle.

“We look forward to closely following their progress in the coming months."

Keepers spotted on video footage in June last year 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.