Noah's Ark Zoo: Playful lions act like kittens as pylon cables removed

A National Grid spokeswoman said it was funny seeing the lions behaving like kittens

Electricity pylon cables have been removed from above lion enclosures at a Somerset zoo, in what National Grid has described as a "unique" challenge.

Hundreds of pylons are being felled between Bridgwater and Avonmouth as part of the Hinkley Point C scheme.

Engineers unable to enter cages at Noah's Ark Zoo, Wraxall, used ropes to reel in wires.

It was funny seeing the lions "behaving like kittens" chasing a rope out of their enclosure, a spokeswoman said.

A pylon in the elephants' enclosure was also felled, allowing the animals to "play with trees" that were "not accessible" before, she said.

Up to 249 electricity pylons are being removed between Somerset and Avonmouth as part of a £900m project to connect electricity from Hinkley Point C power station.

Hundreds of pylons are being felled between Bridgwater and Avonmouth as part of the Hinkley Point C scheme

Noah's Ark Zoo said the horizon of the zoo farm has "included the pylons for over 60 years"

The spokeswoman said "typically" when National Grid, which owns England and Wales' electricity transmission network, removed pylons and wires, they would be lowered to the ground.

But at Noah's Ark Zoo, they were unable to do that as all the animals had to remain in their usual enclosures.

"Clearly we couldn't enter the animal enclosures - especially the lion one," she said.

"So our contractor had to adapt the methodology to remove the wires, without disturbing the animals nor entering the enclosures."

The wires were "reeled" in without being lowered, she said "but the rope used to pull the wires through did have to be lowered to the ground inside the lion enclosure and pulled out from outside the cage in sections".

"It was comical to see the lions behaving like kittens as they followed the progress of the rope out of their enclosure."

A pylon in the elephant enclosure was also felled, allowing the animals to "play with trees" that were "not accessible" before

Aden Precious, project engineer for National Grid, said it had been "a unique experience and challenge for our teams".

A zoo spokesman said: "We have been impressed to see the electricity lines disappear one by one.

"The horizon of the zoo farm has included the pylons for over 60 years and we are very pleased with the change".

Hinkley Point C, the UK's newest nuclear power station, is on track to open by the end of 2026, the company building it, EDF Energy, has said.