Kevin Richardson has forged wonderful relationships with the lions who grew up in his presence (I’ve often featured him on Caturdays), but I still worry that some day he’ll be nommed. But he’s quoted in Wikipedia as saying this:
Richardson has been scratched, punctured and bitten but never in a malicious way. Richardson is not dissuaded by these dangers. In an interview, he mentions, “Obviously one realizes the danger when working with animals of this calibre, I’ve weighed the pros and I’ve weighed the cons, and the pros far outweigh the cons.” He warns about following in his footsteps, however. All the pictures of his adventures do not portray his years of experience and bonding. “People like to take things out of context. They don’t know the relationship I have with this lion.” As a rule, Richardson only interacts with lions he has been with since their birth. Richardson also differentiates his work from that of professional zoologists interacting with completely wild animals they have not raised, or that of trainers whose animals are required to perform on stage day after day.
Here he is playing a game of footy with lions. They’re no Messi, but still. . . Note the caged videographers at the end!
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This video is called “Cat tries to save his human from DROWNING IN THE BATHTUB!”, but I’m not sure that’s the cat’s real concern.
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Finally, readers gravelinspector and Michael sent a video of white tiger quadruplets born at the “White Zoo” in Austria on March 22. The color is due to a mutation in a single gene, but not the gene that causes albinism (that would give them pink eyes).
They’re adorable, but I have reservations about breeding these color variants, as the inbreeding necessary to preserve the color has caused a number of deformities (crossed eyes, cleft palate. club feet. etc.), and of course they’re bred for pure entertainment–they cannot be released in the wild and so serve only as entertainment.
I’d still cuddle them, though.
h/t: Su
What’s the half life of footballs in lion soccer? I’m not sure whether I envy Richardson or just think that he’s insane (or possibly both), like you, I think he could easily end up as an appetizer.
Someone who knew nothing about dogs might think it’s insane to trust large canids with small children who could “easily” become noms. Those of us who have owned dogs know better. So I’m content to leave judgments of Richardson’s sanity to those who know at least as much as he does about the social behavior of lions. I’m guessing that’s a very small group.
Small yes, but what’s the turnover rate? That could be the critical factor in making a judgement.
And most of them are lions.
Is that kitteh female? Does look like a rescue drag that a mom-cat would do.
Our cats have often seemed disturbed by
Flo’s long tub soaks, but I always put it down to cat-etiquette: “Don’t sit in the water dish”. Lots of meows, but never a rescue attempt.
I’m very wary about interpreting these kind of vids, but I agree with Loren – it looks very much like a save-a-baby kind of response. It isn’t just ‘hey I’m stuck in the bathroom let me out’. – MC
Yes that’s very much what it looked like to me.
(and sub)
cr
I notice he does not take the football away from a lion once they have it. That is prudent.
One of these Days……