In April 2021, the Isle of Wight Zoo rebranded as the Isle of Wight Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, concluding a decades-long transformation from an attraction established for the purpose of displaying wild animals to a sanctuary providing a space for wild animals rescued from horrific conditions, a forever home of play, rest, and care for animals once destined to be pets or acts in a circus, which also happens to let members of the public visit. Among the sanctuary’s residents are several big cats, including lynxes, tigers, and lions.

In November 2020, a family of three lynxes – the mum Daenerys, and her two cubs Nymeria and Tyrion, arrived at the sanctuary. This was the first time in recorded history that lynxes have set foot…er, paw… on the Isle of Wight. On this particularly hot day in July, the mum was lying atop a wooden structure in the enclosure not really caring about what was happening around them, one cub was pacing by the fence near where I stood as if to say “Hey! Mama! Look! HOOMANS!”, while the other cub (pictured) stared on as if to say “Dude, just chill out, there are hoomans every day…”

Hope you enjoy!