Lion Habitat

Out front of the MGM Grand, it’s hard to miss the USA’s largest bronze statue, a 100,000lb lion that’s 45ft tall, perched atop a pedestal and ringed by lush landscaping, spritzing fountains and Atlas-themed statues. Inside you’ll find the MGM’s real-life lion habitat. MGM owns these magnificent felines, all descendants of the movie company’s original mascot. Only two animals are shown off inside this multimillion-dollar enclosure at any one time. The big cats tend to sprawl and sleep atop the see-through walkway tunnel, separated from their admirers only by a sheet of protective glass and a couple of feet of thin air. Caretaker Keith Evans has been working with exotic animals for more than 30 years, and he lives with the ferocious felines on a ranch outside town. Trainers can often be seen inside the habitat, engaged in tug-of-war with the big cats, which seem at time rudely confined.