Iconic lion statue at St. Augustine bridge gets repairs

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – One of the marble lions on the Bridge of Lions in St Augustine is getting some repairs on Tuesday.

The lion on the north side of the bridge on the bayfront is showing several cracks in its tail. Inspectors believe the cracks are the result of people climbing on the lion to get their pictures taken, not due to vandalism -- although they have been intentionally damaged in the past.

There is a sign warning against climbing on the statues, but that hasn’t stopped the practice.

The two lion statues, named “Firm” and “Faithful,” were installed on the bridge in 1927. They were put in storage while the bridge was rebuilt in 2010.