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MACOMB, ILL. -- The king of the jungle became a holiday photo mainstay in Macomb.

The Lakewood Lodge along with Brown's Oakridge Zoo gave families a chance to take Christmas photos with a lion cub for a zoo fundraiser.

Hundreds of people gave a visit to the Lakewood Lodge in Macomb, looking to get a closer look at the nine-week-old lion cub, Nala. Nala is an African lioness from Brown's Oakridge Zoo in Smithfield, Illinois.

The Holiday Safari Open House is a fundraiser for the zoo to help maintain their animals over the winter when the zoo is closed. Families could donate ten dollars to have their picture taken with Nala. The money would go towards paying for the food for the animals.

Doctor Chuck Lotz is the owner of Lakewood Lodge and is the veterinarian for this zoo.

"It is a good fundraiser for the zoo. Plus it allows the kids to see the animals and Nancy and Ivan that run the zoo, Nancy and Ivan Brown are just very knowledgeable. They do an excellent job," Lotz said.

Brown's Oakridge Zoo is open from the first of May until the end of October. It is the only family owned zoo in the state of Illinois.