The MGM Grand Lion Habitat is a single indoor enclosure for African lions located inside the massive MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on the Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. The hotel opened in 1993 and was originally themed vaguely to the movie company’s history. Over the years, this theming was mostly replaced, but a reiteration of the theme was the addition of this free attraction in 1999 (it was not free to the hotel, costing them 9 million dollars) that celebrates the famous lion logo of the company with live lions. The habitat is in the casino itself, against one of the walls; rows of slot machines nearby blink and chirp. For what it is, this exhibit is a memorable showcase and its themed design is of high quality. It is conceived as a sort of Art Deco-styled temple-meets-rocky waterfall landscape. The tall facades of the exhibit front, tunnel entrance, and gift shop as well as the gift shop interior and part of the back wall of the exhibit are detailed with cast concrete masonry and ironwork inspired by some of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work in the Los Angeles area in the 1920’s, during the movie studio’s heyday. The layout of the enclosure is roughly hexagonal; three of the sides facing the casino are enclosed with massive windows that angle up to reduce glare, a very wise detail considering the visual chaos of the casino machines nearby. These sides are framed with the themed masonry, while the fourth is almost entirely the masonry of the small giftshop dedicated to lion and hotel merchandise. Inside the shop, a smaller window provides another view into the enclosure. The other two sides are primarily composed of tall simulated rockwork that forms a cliff with several waterfalls pouring down. Inside the enclosure, additional rockwork ledges support a lower waterfall that spills into a small pool contained within the rockwork floor. A tunnel for visitors angles through the habitat, contained with rockwork that supports the lower waterfall as well as long windows for viewing; a few sections of the tunnel are enclosed overhead by windows, providing a shelf for the lions to walk and rest and a unique viewing opportunity. Several large simulated trees erupt from the rockwork floor to form a canopy that mostly obscures the view up to the large skylight that covers most of the habitat and provides filtered natural light, which is always augmented by theatrical spotlighting. A few narrow passages descend from the rockwork floor to the off-exhibit holding area. The habitat is 5,345 square feet and maintained at 75 degrees F; being entirely enclosed, they claim it is soundproof and scentproof. The thundering waterfalls within must aid with this tremendously. Visitors outside do not hear the waterfalls or the lions, but an atmospheric soundtrack plays with occasional recorded lion sounds.
Overview of the habitat viewing area from the casino:
One of the viewing windows from the casino:
Part of the viewing tunnel that goes through the habitat:
The lower waterfall and viewing tunnel beyond:
The habitat with the gift shop viewing window beyond:
Crowds around the windows are common, and it was generously designed with this in mind. Occasionally, a live presenter gives a short informational speech, broadcast on the sound system around the habitat. One of the speeches I heard claimed that this “is a better habitat than any zoo”. I disagree, but it certainly provides a good view. This is not actually a full-time habitat for any of the lions. It is open from 11 AM to 7 PM, and during that time two different groups of lions are displayed, about 4 hours each. The lions are not necessarily on display more than once a week because there are 37 of them! They do not actually live at the hotel; they are owned by an animal trainer named Keith Evans and his company, Lion Photo Studios. They live on a ranch 12 miles away and only those to be displayed that day are transported by truck to the habitat, which apparently has a special off-exhibit loading dock and containment facility. The lions are handled with direct contact, so there are often several trainers inside the habitat with them; during periods of rest, the trainers may leave the habitat, but the crowds I observed seem to be more thrilled when there was someone inside handfeeding them horse meatballs. Unfortunately, one of the trainers was attacked earlier this year by a large male lion, but it was apparently not very serious. During my recent visit, there was no sign of a change to protected contact, but the animals on display were not as formidable since they were a litter of three fairly young cubs. For all I know, they may have displayed a large male later in the day, but I did not return since this single habitat does not hold anyones attention for more than 45 minutes at the most.
Direct contact:
The MGM Grand Lion Habitat is certainly not something to seek out, but it is an attractive diversion for those on the Strip. If it were a full-time habitat for the animals, it would receive low marks due to its fishbowl-like layout and artificial setting as well as what may be an interior environment dominated by the sound of too much falling water. However, as an occasional brief showcase for relatively tame lions, it is more acceptable (if one accepts the concept that lions should be relatively tame and captive). The habitat does not make my top 25 large mammal individual exhibit list by a longshot, and as a single exhibit I do not rank it or list it in my list of zoos I have visited. I have posted some additional pictures in the gallery, which actually has its own category for this small facility!
Overview of the habitat viewing area from the casino:
One of the viewing windows from the casino:
Part of the viewing tunnel that goes through the habitat:
The lower waterfall and viewing tunnel beyond:
The habitat with the gift shop viewing window beyond:
Crowds around the windows are common, and it was generously designed with this in mind. Occasionally, a live presenter gives a short informational speech, broadcast on the sound system around the habitat. One of the speeches I heard claimed that this “is a better habitat than any zoo”. I disagree, but it certainly provides a good view. This is not actually a full-time habitat for any of the lions. It is open from 11 AM to 7 PM, and during that time two different groups of lions are displayed, about 4 hours each. The lions are not necessarily on display more than once a week because there are 37 of them! They do not actually live at the hotel; they are owned by an animal trainer named Keith Evans and his company, Lion Photo Studios. They live on a ranch 12 miles away and only those to be displayed that day are transported by truck to the habitat, which apparently has a special off-exhibit loading dock and containment facility. The lions are handled with direct contact, so there are often several trainers inside the habitat with them; during periods of rest, the trainers may leave the habitat, but the crowds I observed seem to be more thrilled when there was someone inside handfeeding them horse meatballs. Unfortunately, one of the trainers was attacked earlier this year by a large male lion, but it was apparently not very serious. During my recent visit, there was no sign of a change to protected contact, but the animals on display were not as formidable since they were a litter of three fairly young cubs. For all I know, they may have displayed a large male later in the day, but I did not return since this single habitat does not hold anyones attention for more than 45 minutes at the most.
Direct contact:
The MGM Grand Lion Habitat is certainly not something to seek out, but it is an attractive diversion for those on the Strip. If it were a full-time habitat for the animals, it would receive low marks due to its fishbowl-like layout and artificial setting as well as what may be an interior environment dominated by the sound of too much falling water. However, as an occasional brief showcase for relatively tame lions, it is more acceptable (if one accepts the concept that lions should be relatively tame and captive). The habitat does not make my top 25 large mammal individual exhibit list by a longshot, and as a single exhibit I do not rank it or list it in my list of zoos I have visited. I have posted some additional pictures in the gallery, which actually has its own category for this small facility!
