The Denver Zoo gave Facebook fans a behind-the-scenes look inside Predator Ridge on Tuesday.
Predator Ridge is a special exhibit and home to African lions, African wild dogs and spotted hyenas.
The Denver Zoo has eight lions that live in two different groups. According to a post on the zoo's Facebook page, there's a coalition of 2.5-year-old brothers, a pride with two 5-year-old females and a pair of 2-year-olds who were born at the zoo.
“In Predator Ridge, we rotate each group around so they can explore a new area each day,” said Predator Keeper 'Katelyn' on the zoo's Facebook page. “One way we can move them to different yards is through the ramp system in the building. The brothers are usually in a rush to get to where they want to go, but the mostly-female pride likes to taka a casual stroll and is easily distracted along the way. It is enriching for them to investigate who was in the area the day before them, and mark it as their own territory again.”
The zoo showed the female pride as it shifted on the ramps within the enclosure.
Along with the behind-the-scenes tour, the zoo also gave us a glimpse of the mess these animals leave behind.
Katelyn said they're pretty dirty with the hashtag #DirtyJob. The animals have scent glands located around their face, tail and toes that produce oils that help keep their fur waterproof.
Those oils make the mess even harder to clean up, and keepers have to scrub every surface they touch to remove the grease.
The lions also have a collection of toys -- what the zoo calls "enrichment items" -- that look a lot like giant balls and cylinders. Katelyn says they items show just how much damage their sharp teeth and claws can do.
Katelyn says the enrichment is the favorite part of her job, and watching the lions interact with the items.
