Knoxville Zoo is celebrating the 20th birthday of Sylvan, a female African lion. The celebration will take place in the Valley of the Kings lion habitat and “party favors” for Sylvan and her companions, lionesses Elsa and Ann, will include boxes they can use their natural hunting skills to open. The boxes will contain deer carcasses, bones, frozen meatballs and olfactory delights.
The event will happen on Saturday, October 17th at 11:00 a.m. at the Knoxville Zoo’s Valley of the Kings African Lion Habitat
At 20-years-old, Sylvan has reached a milestone age and is the matriarch of the zoo’s lionesses.
Sylvan is a regal ambassador for her endangered counterparts in Africa, and is a familiar lion zoo guests recognize due to her unusual mane, which is a rare occurrence in female lions that happens due to hormonal changes later in life.