Big Update: Sioux Falls Lions Are Almost Ready to Meet You!

For the first time in 30 years, the Great Plains Zoo is extremely excited to welcome back lions to the zoo and Sioux Falls. Staff at the Great Plains Zoo even provided an exciting update about the progress of these beautiful cats.

In a positive update, the Great Plains Zoo says Simba and Amahle are "one step closer to meeting all of you!" However, they still have some battles ahead.

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Detroit Zoo (via Facebook)

It is not easy to adjust to a new environment. It takes hard work and dedication, and the staff at the Great Plains Zoo is up for the job.

Getting Simba and Amahle used to their surroundings is a big part of getting them ready to meet Sioux Falls zoo patrons this June.

They (Simba and Amahle) bravely explored their day rooms, enjoying enrichment activities, sleeping on their beds, and playing on the platforms.

The plan is to have a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Friday, June 28h, and welcome Simba and Amahle to town! There was a comment on the Facebook video about the lions being in the same enclosure. For now, it sounds like Simba and Amanhle are still getting to know each other.

Introducing lions to one another is a looooong process - and can’t be rushed. For their safety, it’s likely that they will still be separate.

Great Plains Zoo (via Facebook)

Friendship and love take time! Sioux Falls is so excited to see these gorgeous cats on Friday, June 28th! Simba and Amanhle already stole the city's hearts.

The Remaining Drive-In Theaters In South Dakota

If you were born last century...you know, in the nineteen hundreds (ugh)...you may have spent a summer evening in the car watching movies. I don't mean on your phone, I mean at the drive-in movie theater!

If you were in Sioux Falls in the 1970s and '80s you may remember seeing Jaws and Indiana Jones at The East Park or the Starlite Drive-In. Both drive-ins opened just after World War 2.

The East Park didn't make it out of the '70s, closing in 1978. The Starlite survived long enough to see the birth of home video, closing in 1985.

FLASHBACK: Remember the East Park and Starlite Drive-in Theaters in Sioux Falls?

Drive-in movies had a bit of a resurgence during the pandemic. They were a way to go out and do something social without getting out of your car.

If you tried one during that time, or you remember the fun of a warm summer evening watching movies on that giant screen there are still places in South Dakota and around Sioux Falls you can do it.

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns

South Dakota's Snakes: A Local Guide to Identifying and Understanding Our Slithering Neighbors!"

South Dakota may not have creepy crawlies like they do in Australia. But, there are a fair amount of snakes to be found here.

We can find some in the Black Hills, some enjoy life on the west-river plains, and several are concentrated in the southeastern part of the state along the Missouri River.

There are seven common species of snake that can be found throughout the state, including our one venomous species.