INTERNATIONAL: Simba is the protagonist of Disney's 1994 animated feature film, The Lion King. And Simba the Lion is a real lion with a namesake of the Disney’s character. With a majestic cake fit for the king of the jungle, the lion Simba has celebrated its 13th birthday on Thursday at Rio de Janeiro's Bioparque zoo.

The long-lived lion has enjoyed a delicacy made out of meat blood, meatballs and chicken as visitors sang 'Parabens pra Voce', the Brazilian version of 'Happy Birthday to You'.

"Happy birthday and let him eat a lot of cake," said Penelope Dorneles, a student and visitor seen at the party.

This birthday celebration is part of a program adopted by BioParque do Rio focusing on animal welfare, creating more dynamic routines for animals and satisfying the behavioural needs of each species.

Environmental enrichments, as they are called, promote challenges and encourage the exploration of new flavours and sensations.

"This is a very special moment for us because we were able to offer [...] a gift that is an enrichment that allows the animal to explore the enclosure and find novelty within his environment," animal educator Adriano Da Silveira told Reuters.

According to biologists at the zoo, the stimuli created by this environmental enrichment gives the animals the opportunity to behave similar to how they would in nature.

After the renovation that transformed the old zoo into BioParque do Rio, Simba was given an enclosure specially designed to recreate his place of origin. with grassland, savanna, dense scrub, and open woodland.

^{PHOTO: SIMBA, A LION FROM RIO DE JANEIRO ZOO, CELEBRATING ITS 13TH BIRTHDAY WITH A MEAT CAKE / SOUNDBITES FROM ZOO EMPLOYEE AND VISITOR}