Lion Habitat Ranch inc — Attraction in Enterprise

We were looking for something new to try with the kiddos during Labor Day weekend and I found the Lion Habitat Ranch on Yelp. I was surprised I hadn’t heard of it before, but the reviews were positive so we figured we’d give it a chance.

You book your reservation and pay online, which secures your specific time slot. We selected 10am on Monday as it was going to be well into the 100’s that day. A big plus is that they allow 1 child free entry per adult ticket.

We arrived a little early and waited in our car outside the gate until they opened, about 5 minutes before 10.

The parking lot is small, but I imagine they only allow a set amount of reservations at a time. The checkin process entails the adults signing waivers and if there are any children, writing their name and age on the waiver. Each adult then gets a wristband and you are able to head outside.

We were immediately greeted by a very kind volunteer, Jim, who informed us that they would be feeding one of the male lions soon and we could get a picture with him. We wandered around for a few minutes as the other groups were checked in and then they called us over. Since we were the first group there, they took our picture first which was nice. The photo op in the jeep with the lion behind us was a cute touch.

After the photo we were free to wander around at our leisure. The next cage over was home to two male lions, brothers, and we were able to watch their feeding. The volunteer was really great at explaining what she was doing, tidbits about the lions and answered our questions.

We repeated this with each cage and learned more each time. We were informed that at least one lion is selected daily for enrichment, meaning they give them extra stimulation via large balls or other things. The lion that day had baby food spread on a large ball that he would lick off and engage with.

All of the lions here, with the exception of BellaDonna, are directly descendents of the lions that were on exhibit at the MGM. Belladonna is one of the remaining lions from that time. We were told that this was originally a holding place for the MGM lions when they were not on exhibit. After that closed, they moved the lions and their offspring here to live permanently. They don’t actively allow the lions to mate, so they will just live out their lives here.

The thing that struck me the most was how much the volunteers and staff cared about the animals. I did not get any sense that the lions and other animals were not well cared for, they seemed as happy as an animal in captivity could be.

The icing on the cake was at the end the very nice volunteer, Jim, who greeted us asked the girls if they wanted to learn some more about the animals. He sat down with them and took the time to show and allow them to touch various animal artifacts, sharing knowledge about each.

I can’t recommend this spot enough! I even am considering volunteering here myself...

The best family experience in Las Vegas, hands down!

My wife and I took our 4 children (ages 5-15) to the ranch today based on the recommendation from a friend.

It was, by far, the coolest thing we have ever done while on vacation in Las Vegas! I was expecting a typical zoo experience with lions where you see them in their enclosure sleeping and have to imagine what they are like when they are active.

To our delight, these lions were active and playful as the ranch limits guest access to just 4 hours a day so that they can get their sleep in while things are quiet.

We got to watch several feedings and listen to the attentive and well-educated volunteers and employees teach us about the lions and other rescued animal species (giant tortoises, emu, ostrich, and several other exotic birds) at the ranch.

You can tell that the employees and volunteers love these animals and take incredible care of them. The enclosures were meticulously clean, as were the animals.

Jim, one of the volunteers, was so kind with our children. He spent almost a half hour showing them a box full of natural wonders, including matted lion fur, emu and ostrich eggs, laid right there on the property, along with shed feathers and claws. Dana, one of the zookeepers, (I think that was her name?) was also exceptionally kind and knowledgeable.

Hearing the Lions communicate with each other in their deep roars was the highlight of the trip for me. Several times, one would start roaring and then others would call back in response. Hearing, and feeling those deep and powerful roars reverberating through my chest is an experience that everyone should have in their life!

I don't know that there's another place where you can get so close to these majestic animals. There are two fences around each enclosure, to create a safe buffer between guests and the lions, but you can stand as close as a yard away from them as they come to the fence for feeding and interaction with the helpers.

Watching them play was adorable! To my children's delight, one of the female lions, Coco, chased her giant ball all over her enclosure. They do such a great job of providing enriching activities for these big cats so they don't get bored and stay healthy and active. They even had one of the Lions do some paw painting (while he was well compensated with some tasty meat).

There was never a sense that my kids (and my own) constant questions were a bother. The gift shop was well outfitted and the drinks and souvenirs were very reasonably priced. We don't normally buy souvenirs, but the the admission price was so reasonable that we wanted to spend more to support this incredible organization.

I will be recommending the ranch to all of my friends when I hear they are headed to Vegas, and we will be back next year when we return...

The Lion Ranch is a place you would almost miss if you didn’t have a mapping system to get you there. The ranch itself is great. You will enter a trailer to either purchase tickets or pickup tickets. All adults are required to wear wrist bands.

You will enter the park and immediately see a pair of emus and ostrich’s both sets of birds are interactive and will accept bird feed located in a coin vending machine.

The main attraction is a large cased in space for lions. They have one lion in there and are good to feed the animal as people come over for photos. There is even a “prop” keep you can sit in that is directly in front of the Lion cage. The kids loved this.

There are several areas to see lions, interact with staff and ask questions. All of the employees are very nice and really want the guests to have awareness for the lions and the cause they are behind in helping to rescue these amazing animals. There is a single Giraffeon site. He is an independent thinker who chooses when he wants to be social. He will also paint a picture, if he is feeling it. It is a great show to watch and you are free to purchase the paintings.

The different birds between the Lion cages are cool to see and the kids love seeing different species of birds.

The gift shop has a lot of different items to buy and their prices were very reasonable. It was one of the few places in the Vegas area I did not feel gouged to make a purchase.

Things to know

*THIS IS A NONPROFIT ALL MONEY RAISED GOES DIRECTLY TO THE CARE OF ANIMALS. HELP THIS CAUSE OUT BY GIVING A LITTLE EXTRA, AS CARE FOR ANY OF THESE ANIMALS IS EXPENSIVE.

Purchase tickets online so that you can also fill out the waiver at the same time. The waiver needs to be signed by all adults that will attend. They primary person filling out the waiver can forward it to the other adults. Also, the primary adult will fill out the waiver on behalf of minor children. Arrive early, as the lions will be a bit more active. Bring water to drink as there is not a lot of shade and you are outside at times when it begins to heat up. Watch out, male lines to urinate and the will spray their urine...