The history of how Leo the MGM Lion, the most iconic lion in the world ended up at the Philadelphia Zoo! #oldhollywood #leothelion #metrogoldwynmayer #mgm | John Joseph

The lion, summer 1994. A popular urban legend says this was removed because "the Chinese didn't like it." Perhaps they didn't, but Chinese visitors didn't stop coming to MGM Grand, and the lion stayed here four years. It was finally removed and replaced with a nightclub in 1997 as a small part of the $250 million effort to de-theme MGM Grand, removing its Hollywood and Wizard of Oz-themed family elements. | Vintage Las Vegas

10K views · 1K reactions | What would a good circus be without a majestic lion? You might be acquainted with the iconic MGM logo, but “Leo” the MGM mascot made his debut in HE WHO GETS SLAPPED (‘24). The lion seen here is actually named Slats who hailed from the Dublin Zoo. Talk about a trained professional! | Turner Classic Movies: TCM | Facebook