The new Lions at Large trail is proving popular this summer as families try to spot as many as possible across Cheltenham and Gloucester.
But the impact of the lions has been felt more deeply for one of the artists, who shared a moving post on Facebook about an encounter at Gloucester Docks.
Christina Sadler, who painted Zale, said: 'I didn’t expect to have such a moving conversation on the pavement yesterday but I’m so glad I did.
'I was out lion-spotting in Cheltenham with my best friend — she’s one of my biggest supporters. We’d paused on the pavement while one of my children added a sticker into the trail book and a lady nearby struck up a conversation.
'She told us she’d seen some of the lions in Gloucester the day before, down by the docks. My friend (always braver than me!) chimed in and told her I was the artist behind Zale.
'The lady paused and said: 'Oh — the blue one by the food place? About cancer?' I nodded, feeling a bit shy as always when talking about my work.'
Christina went on to say that the lady she met revealed the profound affect the lion had on her, adding: 'She said something I’ll never forget: 'That one was really special to me. We’ve recently lost someone and I gave it a little rub on the head to say hello to them.'
She said: 'It was one of those quiet, powerful moments that stays with you. It felt like it was meant to be. It reminded me why we create, even when we feel shy about sharing it.
'It meant the world to hear that Zale connected with someone in such a personal way.'
More than 30 large lion sculptures and 52 little cubs are on display across Cheltenham and Gloucester for the next three months.
The colourful and creative free trail, supported by Gloucester BID and Cheltenham BID, is sponsored by a host of Gloucestershire businesses to support Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity’s The Big Space Cancer Appeal.
Zale, the blue lion, is situated in front of Gloucester Food Dock.
