Christian the Lion (video to give you the warm fuzzies)

[Lorien]

This video has no sound, but here's the story (from another site);

Christian was separated from his parents at an early age and put up for sale in a London department store. Christian's parents were zoo lions, the father came from the Rotterdam zoo and the mother from Jerusalem, and they lived at the Ilfracombe zoo. When they had cubs, the zoo sold them, and two cubs went to the department store.

Two men, Anthony Bourke and John Rendall, found him there and immediately fell in love with him and determined to buy him. They scraped together the money and brought the little lion home when he was only a few weeks old. They named him Christian.Tony and John dedicated themselves to giving Christian the best life they could, and the bond that developed between them is a joy to behold. Christian was a remarkable lion, obviously very intelligent and loving, and gentle to everyone, both human and animal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y90H77aPt0&feature=related

As he grew, Christian began to need bigger facilities than Tony and John could provide. Thanks to a chance meeting with Bill Travers (who had starred in the movie Born Free), they hit upon the idea of sending Christian to Africa to live as a wild lion.

Bill Travers contacted George Adamson to set up the project. The first step when Christian arrived at George's compound, was to introduce him to Boy, a lion who had been in the movie Born Free and who George had already sent "back" to the wild, without losing his relationship with him.

Christian and Boy eventually became best friends, and within a year Christian was living as a wild lion.

When that year had passed, Tony and John came to Africa to see Christian. After a year of struggle, tragedies, and life with a pride of lions in the wild, the relationship Christian felt with Tony and John was as strong as it had always been. In fact, Christian's wonderful relationship with Tony and John caused the other lions in the pride to accept and be at peace with them as well.

Here's the video of Christian's reunion with Tony and John after a year spent apart:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr1pWzoLvT8&NR=1

[Lorien]

1. Kick

Surely someone needs a warm fuzzy-especially if you've dipped your toe into GD:P today!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I needed that after reading some of the stuff on GD-P.

Warm & Fuzzy. :loveya:

[NanceGreggs]

3. Thanks so much for sharing this ...

... amazing story, amazing video - and yeah, the warm fuzzies all over!

[Duppers]

4. Thank you, Lorien

warm fuzzies, indeed.

:loveya:

[Heidi]

5. Here's a Daily Mail article about Christian.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=452820&in_page_id=1

[stuntcat]

9. ty!

I love his kitten pictures!! I've nver seen that article, thanks.

[Lorien]

12. Aww, thanks for that! There's a lot more info there

then there was on the site where I found the videos. I guess it's "Ace", not "Tony". It looks like Christian really dug the London lifestyle as a cub!

[grace0418]

13. What an amazing story!

That would be a dream come true for me, to have that kind of relationship with a lion or tiger.

[Pool Hall Ace]

6. That is very sweet.

Very few people get to experience hugs and kisses from a lion. :)

[stuntcat]

7. I love this!

You can see on Christian's face when he realizes who's there!! :loveya:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

8. very sweet. Thanks. K&R

[Heidi]

10. Kick!

:kick:

[xchrom]

11. kick

[ThomCat]

14. That is very cool that the other lions accepted them

because Christian did. :)