TYLER, Texas — Lions have some of the biggest appetites of the feline family.
To keep up the with these ferocious appetites, the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler goes through approximately 400 pounds of meat per month to feed their two lions. The male, Ayotunde, takes the lion's share, eating a whopping 10 pounds each day.
Their diet consists of a blend of meat to mimic what they would naturally eat in the wild. Up close, it looks and smells like meatball mixture.
Instead of chowing down from a food bowl, like a house cat would, the lions' meal is scattered all across their savanna habit to simulate their active lifestyle in the wild.
"It's a lot of mental and physical stimulation for these guys as they're aging," said Michelle Shockley, supervisor of small mammals at the Caldwell Zoo. "It helps keep them mobile and active, and we want them moving and stretching those joints as much as possible."
For more behind-the-scenes zoo content, watch CBS19 on Fridays during Morning Y'all for the weekly segment, Exploring the Caldwell Zoo.