MGM Grand cats find room to roar in Henderson at Lion Habitat Ranch

Amber Williams could hardly stand still as she waited in line at Lion Habitat Ranch to interact with one of the cubs.

For as long as she could remember, Williams has been obsessed with lions, and this was her first chance to hold one.

Her dream came true as the trainer, Keith Evans, picked up Cash, a rambunctious cub who was only a few weeks old, and placed him in her lap.

"It was such as an amazing experience," Williams said. "I wish I could come back every weekend."

At the Henderson-based Lion Habitat Ranch, 382 E. Bruner Drive, people have a chance to see - or potentially hold and even train - more than 40 lions.

The lions had been at the MGM Grand until January 2012.

Evans, the president of The Cat House, Inc., which is more commonly called the Lion Habitat Ranch, would transport the lions daily from his ranch to the hotel.

"It's actually a lot better now that we don't have to whisk them away on the freeway twice a day," Evans said. "They don't have to get up and leave."

Evans has worked with lions for more than 40 years and has had his ranch in Henderson for more than 20.

In 1999, when the MGM lion habitat opened, he started transporting the lions into the enclosure within the casino.

"We were averaging about 10,000 people a day," he said. "We would have people call and book tours around when the lions would be out."

Since he already had a habitat area where he kept the lions, after his contract with the MGM Grand ended he decided to carry on as a tourist spot.

"The word is getting out quickly," Evans said.

The majority of the lions people see are the originals from the MGM Grand.

In the last 20 years, Evans said the habitat had welcomed 17 babies. In November he welcomed seven more, one girl and six boys.

After the MGM exhibit closed, Evans said he received a lot of phone calls from people wondering what happened to the lions.

"People are happy to see the lions are alive and well," Evans said.

The habitat is just the beginning. Evans hopes eventually to open a safari park and petting zoo. "In the spring we hope to build a building for special events," Evans said.

In addition to people touring the facility, Evans wants to use the habitat to raise awareness about the dangers to lions in the wild.

The habitat supports Conservation International, an organization dedicated to protecting places all over the world.

He added that there is a bill in Congress about putting lions on the endangered species list.

"There was a population drop," Evans said. "Maybe if people come see them, they will fall in love and drop a dime."

In the meantime, people can take a tour of the facility for $20 or book the feast with the beast package to have lunch or dinner in an enclosure surrounded by lions.

The ranch was scheduled to offer cub interactions, where people could hold the newborns for five minutes for $200, through Sunday, depending on the cubs' moods and size. People can also pay $800 to become a trainer for a day.

"You mirror one of the trainers," Evans said.

In the three- to four-hour session, he said people can do anything from bathing and feeding the lions to changing the water dishes.

"It's on a lot of people's bucket list," Evans said.

Williams said one day she hopes to be a trainer for a day. For now, she was just happy to have the experience petting the cub.

When the seven cubs were born in November, the ranch opened up a contest for people to name the newborns.

Williams entered.

"And I never enter competitions," Williams said. "I sat there for a while trying to think of a name. I couldn't think of anything, so I just submitted Cash, the first name that came to mind."

More than 1,000 names were submitted.

Williams said she nearly cried when she read that her name had been chosen, also resulting in her interacting with a cub.

She went to meet the cubs Dec. 30, naturally picking out Cash to hold.

"His hair was a lot more coarse than I thought it would be," Williams said. "But it was amazing. Time just flew by."

For more information, visit lionhabitatranch.com.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 702-387-5201.