Post #147797 by ZebraTiki on Fri, Mar 18, 2005 4:17 PM

Cool pictures!
Those giant tusks with the picture of the lion on top are the old Lion Country Safari attraction in Irvine. It was later "Raging Waters" and now the Irvine Ampitheatre.

For those who don't know, Lion Country Safari was like a small version of the San Diego Wild Animal Park, only you drive your own car through the various sections, and employees open the huge gates between the enclosures. Talk about a litigator's dream!

I have a dim memory that the lions were able to jump on your car, as I remember signs with strict warnings on them not to open your car windows, and holding the window handle (no power windows!) tight so the lions wouldn't roll the window down (as lions tend to do).

Once there was a big news story about an escaped hippo that had wandered into Leisure World (a retiree's community) that was next door, and had taken up residence in their pond, but kept evading her keepers' attempts at capturing her.