The Lioness and the Lesser Kudu – London, England - Atlas Obscura

The Lioness and the Lesser Kudu

This striking statue brings a scene from the African savannah into central London. 

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A spiral horned kudu antelope sprints for its life in a last struggle for survival. Hot in pursuit of the ungulate is a large lioness, who bounds effortlessly across the grass after its prey.

On first sight of the scene, your mind might automatically recall footage from a nature documentary set in the African Serengeti. But you aren’t in a great savannah. You’re in London, looking at a realistic and life-sized pair of sculptures. The bronze sculptures look so lifelike in the glint of the sun that with a bit of imagination, you can almost imagine these two creatures charging across the road in front of one of the red buses and causing a major traffic accident.

This spectacular sculpture was created by artist Jonathan Kenworthy, who had been commissioned by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to produce an animal art piece for Eaton Hall. However, in 1993, it was decided that this magnificent sculpture should be moved to Grovesnor Park for the enjoyment of the general public, where it has remained ever since.

Know Before You Go

The lion and the lesser kudu can be seen in Upper Grosvenor Gardens, and you can walk past the sculpture at any time.


If you're surrounded by statues of hands, you're in the wrong garden. Cross the road at the thin end of the wedge shape.

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March 13, 2019

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