Yes, the Lion Inn once had a pet lion . The pub, found in Gwytherin, near Llanrwst , dates back to the 1700s but it was as recently as the 1970s that the pub had its majestic lodger.

The Lion Man was probably based on observation of European cave lions, which, although now extinct, were plentiful during the Ice Age, when they were, says Cook, “the top predator”.

Granted, Wales has an alternate or secondary symbol, the daffodil, which grows abundantly in season. But the leek is preferred for two reasons. One is that its colors, green and white, are ...