HENDERSON (KTNV) — If yoga among lions and a giraffe sounds appealing, the Lion Habitat Ranch in Henderson may be the spot for you.
It’s just one of the events the sanctuary is hosting, as they try to raise funds after being closed for part of the pandemic.
It’s an unusual setting for a yoga class, but it’s bringing people closer to animals and to nature as they get a workout in.
“It’s very exciting to do it amongst lions and Ozzie the Giraffe who always steals the show,” said Ginny DePaso, director of community outreach for the sanctuary.
The yoga session is one event the Lion Habitat Ranch is hosting to help raise funds to take care of the animals. The pandemic forced them to close for about three months starting in mid-March, a serious blow to their bottom line.
“It’s a little more of a limited budget so all the donations, all the admissions from these special events mean so much to us.”
Denise Souffrant, the sanctuary’s manager, says it costs thousands of dollars to feed the sanctuary’s 31 lions, giraffe, and other creatures. Events like these could be a big boost.
“Every little bit helps and we’re slowing gaining traction and we’re really excited about that,” she said.
They're now planning a “Boo at the Zoo,” from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“It gives the kids to be able to dress up and kind of celebrate Halloween, so we’ll have different areas where they’ll be no contact and have photos,” said Souffrant.
She says these events can be a great learning experience as well.
“We believe that connection to our animals really inspires them to want to conserve their wild counterparts,” said Souffrant.
Information on the events can be found at the sanctuary’s website lionhabitatranch.org.
