Edinburgh Zoo in Corstorphine welcomes lion cubs, Scotland's first baby sloth and a space-themed lantern trail

It has been a remarkable year for new arrivals at Edinburgh Zoo, and there is plenty to draw visitors to Corstorphine this winter.

On 11 October, ten-year-old lioness Bindee gave birth to two Asiatic lion cubs, the first born at the zoo in seven years. The last cubs, Mitaali, Keshari and Kushanu, arrived in 2019. Asiatic lions are classified as endangered, with an estimated 350 remaining in the wild, found only in Gir Forest National Park in Gujarat, India. For now the cubs are bonding with their mother in a private den, and the lion habitat is closed to visitors while they settle in.

Earlier in the year, the zoo made history with the birth of Atty, the first sloth ever born in Scotland, on 11 May. He was named in honour of Sir David Attenborough, who celebrated his 100th birthday just days before, and who once said that if he could be an animal for a day he would choose a sloth. Atty lives with his parents, Feira and Nico, in the zoo's warm and humid Sloth House, and keepers marked World Sloth Day on 20 October with a floral feast for mother and son.

After dark, the zoo is preparing for lift-off. The Giant Lanterns trail returns for 60 nights from Friday 13 November to Sunday 21 February 2027, with a space safari theme. More than 1,000 handcrafted lanterns and 15,000 LED lights will transform the grounds, with walk-through planets spanning 12 metres and an illuminated owl with a seven-metre wingspan. Some of the lanterns take 220 hours to make. Last winter's return of the trail, after a six-year break, drew more than 96,000 visitors.

Lindsay Ross, events and experiences manager at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, described this year's trail as the biggest yet, with glowing planets, sparkling constellations and galactic beasts around every turn.

Edinburgh Zoo is home to the RZSS and more than 2,500 animals. As with any outdoor attraction, it is worth checking opening times before setting off, as the zoo occasionally closes during severe weather.

Tickets for the zoo and the Giant Lanterns trail are available on the Edinburgh Zoo website.