The Duke of Kent has visited The Big Cat Sanctuary to officially open a new lodge.

During the visit, the prince whose first name is Edward, was shown around the education and breeding centre and met the big cats, including Kasanga the African lion.

The Smarden-based sanctuary looks after homeless and elderly cats, as well as being a conservation centre for wild cats and also runs education programmes for schools.

The Duke of Kent opened the sanctuary’s Jaguar Lodge, which is the first on the 32-acre site to offer overnight stays with views of the big cats for up to four people. Prices for a mid-week stay start at £1,300.

Managing director Giles Clark said: “The future holds exciting times for us – as we continue to strive to become a leading facility to support the conservation of wild cats around the world by continuing to develop our partnerships with other leading conservation and education organisations.”