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In the 1970’s, Tucked into a small corner of Laguna Nigel, there was once a place where wild animals roamed and for just a few dollars, you could drive your car through the park called Lion Country Safari.
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The park was famous for its funny looking lion, Frasier. The amourous lion was a legend and became a star when word spread of his virility spread. After spending most of his life in a circus, the lazy tongue-lolling Frasier fathered more than 30 cubs.
Photo:buzzlamp
Frasier “hobbled about on weakened legs, his once-lustrous coat was scruffy and his tongue sagged from a toothless mouth,” The LA Times reported in 1977. The article from the Times added, “Lion Country bought him from a bankrupt Mexican circus in 1970, he was believed to be 18 which is the equivalent to about 80 in human years.”
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Lion Country closed in 1984. Wild Rivers Waterpark and Verizon Wireless Amphitheater now occupy part of the property, which is owned by the Irvine Co.
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