Tenerezze leonine a Bhopal, India

A lion and a lioness, who were rescued from a circus, sit in their enclosure at the Animal Rescue Centre of Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, 30 July 2011. Around 16 lions rescued from different parts of India reside at the Animal Rescue Centre. Most of the lions were rescued from the circus. Van Vihar was declared a national park in 1983, covers an area around 445.21 hectares. Although having the status of a national park, Van Vihar is developed and managed as a modern Zoological Park. The animals are kept in their near natural habitat. Most of the animals are either orphaned brought from various parts of the state or are exchanged from other zoos. (EPA/HARISH TYAGI)