Colchester Zoo is pleased to have received a helping hand from Lion Walk and Red Lion Yard, one of Colchester's top retail areas.

With names like Lion Walk and Red Lion Yard it was clear to everyone involved which animal enclosure these town centre shopping destinations should be sponsoring.

John Fleming, Centre Manager, explains: "Lion Walk has a long standing relationship with Colchester Zoo and we're pleased to be supporting such a popular local attraction. Our name has a natural synergy with the zoo, especially since Red Lion Yard became part of the shopping centre last year. Sponsoring Lion Rock is a chance to celebrate our names in a fun way and we've got lots of exciting plans up our sleeves for the year ahead. You could say it's going to be a 'roaring success'!"

We have three lions at Colchester Zoo, our male African lion Bailey and two lionesses, Malika and Naja who are sisters. They live together at Lion Rock which has been open since 2004 and as a species are the largest mammalian predators in Africa. We are delighted to be working with Lion Walk and Red Lion Yard and grateful for the support. Along with our vitally important conservation work, we also try to engage and support the local community as much as possible so we are very pleased to be working closely with one of Colchester's most popular shopping areas.

Located just off the High Street in Colchester town centre, Lion Walk and Red Lion Yard are home to a mix of big name stores and smaller independent shops and services.

Find out more at www.lionwalkshopping.com or 'like' www.facebook.com/lionwalkshoppingcentre for the latest news and special offers.