Luna the lioness lies with her pumpkin inside her habitat at Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary.

As Halloween draws near, humans aren’t the only ones who are celebrating the season. On Saturday, the big cats at Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary got a special treat to celebrate “Prowl-o-ween” — a pumpkin to play with.

“Our staff loves celebrating Halloween with the community each year and we wanted to help ensure the children of East Texas have an opportunity to enjoy Halloween,” said Brittani Fry, director of marketing. “This is a great opportunity to have fun and celebrate while still socially distancing.”

Saturday was Tiger Creek’s fourth annual celebration of the event. Dozens gathered to get their very own henna tattoos, participate in raffles, trick or treating, and of course see large cats play with pumpkins.

According to Managing Director Emily Owen, the pumpkins provide mental stimulation for the cats.

“It’s enrichment for them, something to exude their natural instinct on. It mimics their natural curiosity and prey mentality,” Owen said.

“We had a wonderful turnout for Prowl-o-ween,” Owen continued. “We want to thank Altra Federal Credit Union for sponsoring the event, we’re so grateful for all of the members of our community that showed up and supported us. COVID has been difficult for everyone to navigate and we’re happy to be able to provide an opportunity for members of the community to get outdoors and explore while learning about the beautiful animals that call Tiger Creek home and at the same time, practicing safe social distancing.”

For more information about Tiger Creek, call 903-858-1008 or visit in-person. Tiger Creek is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The animal sanctuary is located at 17552 Farm-to-Market Road 14 in Tyler.