The Lion Hugger

[Number9Dream]

In 2012 Valentin Gruener rescued a young lion cub and raised it himself at a wildlife park in Botswana. It was the start of an extraordinary relationship. Now an astonishing scene is repeated each time they meet - the young lion leaps on Gruener and holds him in an affectionate embrace.

The lion he has devoted himself to is Sirga - a female cub he rescued from a holding pen established by a farmer who was fed up with shooting animals that preyed on his cattle.
"The lions had killed the other two or three cubs inside the cage, and the mother abandoned the remaining cub. She was very tiny, maybe 10 days old," Gruener says.

Video in article.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31818370

[catbyte]

1. Awwwww, a very big squee.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. so happy to see him

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. cute