Austin Zoo

"He clearly had not led a happy life," she said. "He was severely malnourished, and the second day he was here, he stood up and his ankle shattered under the weight of his own body. So, he's come a long way."

Clark joined the zoo's board of directors in 2003 as board secretary and was elected president of the zoo in September 2007. She took over as executive director in November of the same year.

It begs the question: How does one buy a lion?

"There's people that supply zoos and breed these animals," she said. "You get on the Internet, and you can find a breeder, and you go to that breeder and tell them you want a lion cub."

Most people can't afford to build proper enclosures, provide the 15 pounds of meat or so per day, or find vets that can provide care to a full-grown lion—not to mention handling an animal that could playfully knock a person unconscious with the swipe of a paw. And that's where the Austin Zoo comes in.

"I don't think there is an average day," head zookeeper Sara King said. "Working with the animals, building their habitats and improving their quality of life are the best things about this job."

Not every case at the Austin Zoo is quite as serious as Leroy's, but most all the animals at the facility have in one way or another come from situations that were less than ideal. The hybrid zoo/sanctuary is a nonprofit entity that does not buy or sell animals, but rescues or takes in surrendered animals.

Caring for the animals isn't cheap, though, as it costs roughly $80,000 a month to run a park with more than 300 residents. The zoo is heavily reliant on admissions, which make up 60 percent of its revenue, with another 13 percent coming from its gift shop. The rest is made up through various gifts, charities and fundraising.

"We're open as a zoo to fund our sanctuary and rescue operations," she said. "Our animals are all rescued or surrendered to us, and we are open to the public to educate people about why it's really not a good idea to get that little ring-tailed lemur as a pet."

Austin Zoo, 10808 Rawhide Trail, 288-1490, www.austinzoo.org, Twitter: @TheAustinZoo