I think this lion’s name is “Dude”. He’s 2 years old. He’s at the MGM Grand in Vegas. They were sleeping, so we went to the buffet and Sal had a lion’s share of olives. Then we went back and the lions were still sleeping. Sal noticed that the exit they want you to go through leads to the gift shop. So we were in the gift shop talking Sal out of a variety of gifts, when they woke up the lions to feed them.
They take a chunk of meat, about a 1 inch square chuck, and throw it against the glass window of their enclosure and the lions lick it off the glass. They walk around the entire room doing that. We happened to be one of only 2 groups in the gift store when it started. And we ended up having the whole window to ourselves. The emcee for the lions even hung out with us a bit, encouraging the trainers to throw the hunk of meat at Sal’s face, so the lions would end up being face to face with Sal.
It was pretty interesting.
We left with a little soft stuff leopard or something or rather with huge (proportionally and kind of absolutely) eyes. His name is “Finder”. Not after old Mac OS apps, but because with big eyes, one can find things easier.
We don’t know who taught that to Sal or if he made it up himself, but if you help him find something of his that he lost, he’ll ask you to help him look for something and he’ll compliment your eyes for being so big as a way to pressure on you to find the object of his desire.
The other day, we were talking baby talk and this expectant dad made a comment that really warmed my heart. He said that he was leaning towards a girl but that over time, Sal had convinced him that maybe a boy wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Sal can be pretty persuasive. At least I think Sal is fun to hang out with and do touchdown dances with and high five and dress up in team jerseys and tickle and wrestle and roll around in the grass with and teach him to say “safety” after a little gas is expelled. I mean, I didn’t do that of course…I actually learned it from Sal. When I asked the expectant dad if he taught Sal, he denied it – but said that it was common knowledge. Now, the nanny’s son is the prime suspect.
Anyway, I was touched that Salvador was able to have an effect on an adult already. Or maybe it’s just that this dad realized that fart jokes with a daughter aren’t as socially acceptable…