This amazing three-minute video was shown on Oprah the other day, and I friend sent it to me by email the following day. It shows how a lion cub was rescued from Harrod’s, raised in London as a pet, and successfully reintroduced to the wild. Later, the humans returned to Africa, searched for and found the lion, who was now head of his own pride, living in the wild. The amazing reunion will bring tears to your eyes. If you haven’t already seen it, it’s one of the most amazing animal videos I’ve ever seen. Speakers not necessary with the subtitles, but you’ll hear African music playing during the video clip:
This is a fabulous video! It reminds me of the movie Born Free!
I’ve always wanted to have a big cat cub as a pet. It’s illegal to have a wild animal as a pet in India and even if it was legal, I could not have found one as all the big cats are on the endangered list So, we have a domestic cat and I have named him Pardus as he has spots. Our previous cat had some stripes so I called him Tigris
I have great trouble believing this one. Everyone knows those felines are not to be trusted. How many times have we read that they turned on their old trainer or feeder? They are not like dogs–they don’t have the same relationship with humans that dogs (for example) do. Imagine what a risk that former owner took by letting the big thing come charging at him–it would have been foolhardy. And the presentation of the lion as a family man who “introduced his wife” is over the top. Why should the “wife” see anything but a meal in the guy? Someone who watched the video with me thought maybe the actual slobbering on the guy was done by a St. Bernadino dog instead of a lion.
It’s true that wild animals are just that – wild and therefore unpredictable. However, lions, tigers, leopards and other big cats don’t usually harm humans unless one provokes them. Not every lion or tiger is a man-eater. Due to various reasons, if these big cats are unable to hunt their normal prey, they turn into man-eaters
As a cat owner I can say that cats do follow you around, even jump up on you just like a dog when they are happy to see you (or especially when they are excited as you’re getting their food ready, if they are really hungry). I CAN believe this emotional attachment.
However, what I did find very hard to believe was when the lion jumped up, and was hugging the man, that the man was not mauled (even accidentally) by the lion’s (probably razor sharp) claws, which would have enough germs and debris under each one that a scratch could kill a man from infection. I know this is the case with other big cats and even house cats if you don’t keep their nails trimmed) , so I don’t see why lions would be any different.
August 21, 2008 at 6:21 pm
This is a fabulous video! It reminds me of the movie Born Free!
I’ve always wanted to have a big cat cub as a pet. It’s illegal to have a wild animal as a pet in India and even if it was legal, I could not have found one as all the big cats are on the endangered list
So, we have a domestic cat and I have named him Pardus as he has spots. Our previous cat had some stripes so I called him Tigris 
August 25, 2008 at 7:59 pm
I have great trouble believing this one. Everyone knows those felines are not to be trusted. How many times have we read that they turned on their old trainer or feeder? They are not like dogs–they don’t have the same relationship with humans that dogs (for example) do. Imagine what a risk that former owner took by letting the big thing come charging at him–it would have been foolhardy. And the presentation of the lion as a family man who “introduced his wife” is over the top. Why should the “wife” see anything but a meal in the guy? Someone who watched the video with me thought maybe the actual slobbering on the guy was done by a St. Bernadino dog instead of a lion.
August 26, 2008 at 6:28 pm
100swallows,
It’s true that wild animals are just that – wild and therefore unpredictable. However, lions, tigers, leopards and other big cats don’t usually harm humans unless one provokes them. Not every lion or tiger is a man-eater. Due to various reasons, if these big cats are unable to hunt their normal prey, they turn into man-eaters
August 26, 2008 at 10:14 pm
100 Swallows,
As a cat owner I can say that cats do follow you around, even jump up on you just like a dog when they are happy to see you (or especially when they are excited as you’re getting their food ready, if they are really hungry). I CAN believe this emotional attachment.
However, what I did find very hard to believe was when the lion jumped up, and was hugging the man, that the man was not mauled (even accidentally) by the lion’s (probably razor sharp) claws, which would have enough germs and debris under each one that a scratch could kill a man from infection. I know this is the case with other big cats and even house cats if you don’t keep their nails trimmed) , so I don’t see why lions would be any different.
Madame Monet
March 26, 2009 at 3:54 pm
This is beautiful, the world is beautiful, I just wish as people we had more of an opportunity to experience its wild majesty outside of our bubbles.