Lion Habitat Ranch: Saving the Barbary Lion

On a bright, hot in late April 2021, my daughter, Melissa, and granddaughter, AJ, saw lions and more about as close up and in your face as I’ve ever experienced.

The 8.5 acre Lion Habitat Ranch, a nonprofit educational zoo and wildlife center in Henderson, NV, is ten minutes south of the Vegas Strip — an easy drive on a Thursday morning. We made reservations online the night before and signed the waiver. Honestly, reading the waiver would have taken this experience off my list. Lucky for me, my daughter, Lauren, and her family visited multiple times which assured me that this was a safe experience. She was so right!

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The property (incidentally in view of the Las Vegas Raiders sports clinic in a barren industrial-park-like locale) is on the corner of Bruner and Bermuda Road with a non-assuming gated entrance. Greeted by an employee who verifies your reservation, you’re instructed to park and check-in. After that, you’re on your own to experience the animals. You’re given a one-hour timeframe, but on non-busy days, you can linger as long as you wish.

The first animals you come across are emus Tweedledee and Tweedledum, ostriches and tortoises. Then, you spy Bentley, a massive Barbary lion, on the other side of a plexiglass window. He perches behind a jeep set beneath him making for a great photo op (not available as we visited during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine). It was breathtaking to be that close to such a massive creature. In non-quarantine times, guests can pay a few hundred dollars plus the cost of food to have lunch/dinner in a protected enclosure surrounded by several lions who stalk around as you eat.

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As you wander to your left you can’t miss the massive reticulated giraffe framed inside his enclosure at the end of the walkway. Meet Ozzie, the painting giraffe. Towering at over 16-feet, there are scuff marks where he likes to rub his ossicones (Who knew giraffes didn’t have antlers or horns?) He also has an 18-inch tongue! Ozzie paints t-shirts, canvas bags, canvases and more with a paint brush in his mouth. Note here: be sure to check the Ozzie painting times on a blackboard where you first enter. Take time to visit the gift shop to his left to purchase a masterpiece or buy online at https://lionhabitatranch.org/product-category/merchandise/ You can feed Ozzie for $20 with credit card or $10 cash. All proceeds go to support the animals!

Around the circular path, we were greeted by Macaws and parrots as we passed enclosures of healthy and well-cared-for lions and lionesses sleeping. They sleep up to 20 hours a day, partly due to the fact that they have few sweat glands. 

As the circular pathway takes you to the right, Ozzie’s long yard is to your left and more lions (35+ onsite) to your right. A few lionesses grouped together in an enclosure were either side by side or in a shaded area sprawled upside down like cute kittens.

On the backside of the pathway, we were just in time for a lion feeding. The trainer (who apparently truly loved her work) took a large slab of raw meat in her hand. She explained to us that the two lions in this enclosure were fed 75 percent of their diet in the morning saving the remainder to feed proportionately for guests to observe.

I cannot describe the surprising, guttural reaction I had to the lion, Harry, strolling nonchalantly over to body slam himself erect on his back legs to feed on raw meat. He stood at least eight feet full length and the experience of such a massive creature at such close proximity is something I will never forget. I’ve certainly NEVER experienced anything like it. A trainer told us that the Barbary lion is extinct in the wild and only lives in captivity now.

I was curious about what seemed to be shedding tufts of black mane halfway down their sides toward the tail. Apparently this breed is unique for the mane that extends far back its flanks as opposed to other lions whose manes stop at the base of their necks.

Lion Habitat Ranch used to breed lions until they ran out of room to house them. Many of the lions on property were formerly the MGM (Metro-Goldwyn Mayer studio) lions housed at the MGM Casino on the Vegas Strip. As of 2012, lions are no longer housed at the casino. Exotic animal trainer Keith Evans, the habitat’s president, has been training animals like these since 1970.

I highly recommend a visit to Lion Habitat Ranch. Be sure to make reservations and sign your waiver online ahead of time. This experience is at the top of my list of in-your-face animal experiences!