The lions remain a popular attraction at the museum. Bruce Patterson, a former curator of mammals at the museum with no relation to the British officer, said it was incredible that a pair of rugs ...

This is the oldest skull of a Barbary lion found in the UK. The lion was part of the royal zoo in the Tower of London 700 years ago. Workmen digging in the old moat around the Tower of London in 1937 ...

The three lions are the emblem of England ... and unless specifically stated are not those of the BBC or the British Museum. The BBC is not responsible for the content of any external sites ...

Climbing the social ladder in Victorian England was difficult. For many, the prospect of a career at the prestigious British Museum was unthinkable, but George Smith overcame the odds. Born in ...