Bruiser, (father), Kuchani (mother) and Asali (daughter) arrived at the zoo on Tuesday, and were allowed a few days to settle in before being viewed by the public on Friday morning.

Zookeeper Danielle Rae said lions roar to let others know their territory, so for them to have roared on Thursday means they are becoming comfortable in their new home.

The three African natives came from Taronga Zoo in a vehicle provided by Cessnock Holden to live out their retirement in the Hunter Valley, with Bruiser being 16, Kuchani being 14 and Asali, 12.

Zoo owner Jason Pearson said they had been working on getting lions for the past four years, and although not many would take on retirees, they jumped at the chance when Taronga approached them.

It was the first time the lions had ever been moved, except for Bruiser being relocated from Mogo Zoo to Taronga at two weeks old.

Their new purpose-built 800m2 display is more open than their previous home, meaning they can hear and see more than ever before.

When introduced to the public, the females were a bit apprehensive at first but soon relaxed while Bruiser was very edgy and not willing to explore his surroundings.

“For them it’s a very, very big change,” Danielle said.

“Everything is brand new, he’s not feeling comfortable yet because he hasn’t yet established that this is his territory.”

But the zoo has implemented several techniques to make the lions feel at home such as spreading Whiskers cat food around the enclosure, hiding boxes for them to play with, putting milk in different areas and even spraying perfume.

“They’re very smell orientated,” Danielle said.

“It’s about keeping them stimulated, keeping them interested.”

Danielle said she loves the family bond between lions, as other cat species tend to be more individual in their nature.

“I love how they interact with each other,” she said.

“They work as a team.”

Danielle said eventually they would like to train the lions in things such as getting them to present their paws on the fence and opening their mouths to check their teeth, all of which help to build confidence between the animals and zookeepers.

“Just working on building that relationship,” she said.

“It builds up that trust and that bond.”