Life Among the Big Cats of Africa

        The title I chose for this hub has six of the seven words of the subtitle of a book that just came out by Kevin Richardson. The big difference is that he was able to add a big MY before the other words, as he was writing about his friendship with lions in an animal park in South Africa.

        "Part of the Pride” is the listed title, and it’s easy to understand why. He was quite different from the usual keeper at a zoo. A natural born animal behaviorist (though he claims not to be one), he learned and respected all the idiosyncrasies of each lion, accepted them as individuals, and in turn was accepted (in most cases) as a part of their families. He regards them as his companions.

        He’s quick to add, too, that he doesn’t work in a zoo, but in a large animal park.

        His job is to make certain that the enclosed lions have the best possible quality of life.

        The book is full of anecdotes about his relationships with lions that have become lovable and sociable under his care – not mindless man-eating killers.

         He regards the lions as his buddies and says there’s nothing that recharges him as much as being with them at the end of the day.  He plays the role of father to some of them, but to others he’s a brother or merely an acquaintance.  It all depends on their degree of acceptance.  As a youngster, he had liked observing animals to see how they behaved, and that has come in useful in working with lions.  He says, “You have to test the boundaries – decide what is play, and what isn’t”. 

         He has known this white lion cub since it was born, and that’s the easiest way to build a lasting relationship.  Kevin has been a part of several documentaries about lions, and he chose this particular cub to play the childhood scenes of the hero lion Letsatsi in a film called “White Lion”.

         Here’s Thor, the star of that film.  According to Kevin, Thor is a “complete natural” in front of the cameras.  He obviously had no difficulty posing for this publicity shot with Kevin’s arm around him.

        Though lions don’t bathe, they don’t have an offensive odor; it’s a unique amalgam of pet odors depending on what they’ve eaten or been doing.  They excrete an oily substance behind their ears that keeps it in shape and helps make their wiry mane stand out.

        Another interesting thing about them is that they can smell fear.  It causes adrenaline to immediately course through their bodies.

         All of the lions in the camp have names, and this 15-month old named Napoleon is having a friendly wrestling match with Kevin.  Well, no, let’s say that he’s giving a hug for no intention to dominate is involved.  Young lions are very rough, however, and there’s always the possibility of bruises, scratches, bites, and torn clothing. 

        When lions are two or three years old, they’re like teenagers – thoroughly unpredictable with hormones raging high so it’s best to be extra careful.  By the time they’re five, some of them can be quite tranquil.

        It’s wise to learn early that if a lion doesn’t come when he’s called, it’s best to leave him a alone - let him stay by himself for that’s what he wants.

        When some of Kevin’s family visited one day, they wanted him to see him with the lions, and he says today that he should have known better than to put on a demonstration.  He hadn’t paid attention to the fact that some of the lions were upset because of the presence of strangers, and when he entered their area one of them ran at him and hit him so hard with a paw that he felt he’d been hit with the weight of 3 fists.  Blood sprayed from his nose and he was pushed backwards against a fence, but managed to get out.  

        He said later that before he started working with lions he had been in fights, but none of them came close to the power that a lion has.

         Kevin isn’t concerned, but knows that in this photograph with Napoleon  he’s breaking three fundamental rules used by other people who work with lions.  1 – You shouldn’t sit down near a lion.  2 - You shouldn’t be in their presence when you have an injury, and 3 – You shouldn’t try to take anything of their mouths or take possession of anything that they feel they own. 

        Many people also recommend carrying pepper spray, a weapon, or a shock stick.  They couldn’t believe that he was hand-feeding lions and permitting them to lick water out of his hands.

        He has no hesitation in sitting with lions who are his special friends - has even been known to sleep in the sun with them – and the moonboot he’s wearing to hold his broken foot together was of no concern to the lions after they’d sniffed it.  The accident that had caused that happened far from the lions in his off duty time.

        He has always been a daredevil – a nonconformist – and has found that if you build individual relationships with the animals it’s unnecessary to follow those rules.  It doesn’t bother him that he doesn’t fit in the usual pigeon-hole of people who usually do that work.

          I like the book’s caption for this photo:  “It’s these moments with the lions that I really love.  There’s no need for talking, as Tabby and I are perfectly in tune with what each of us is thinking.”

        Their relationship has grown over the years and was built on a formula that Kevin uses with each lion.  He wants to know how the lion look, acts, talks, the way his hair stands up or his tail twitches.  All of that tell you what’s going on in his mind.  It’s important to realize that – just like humans – behavior changes over time.

         Kevin saw his buddy Meg pawing the water at the edge of the Crocodile River one day and thought she might enjoy swimming.  Lions usually don’t, but he thought he’d give it a go, so he stripped and dived in.  He showed Meg that he was having a good time and called to her with a “Wuh-oow Wuh-oow”.  Surprisingly enough, she trusted him enough to join him there in the middle of the river, but then she held on, as she had never swum before.

         Then Kevin tried to get her to blow bubbles.  Can you believe it?  It shows what an excellent relationship they had.  The secret is that he becomes friends by getting to know each animal as an individual – their likes, dislikes, quirks, preferences.  All the relationships are different.   

         Thunder’s claws are displayed so you’ll see how lethal they could be if he chose to use them.  They could filet a prey with one stroke.  None of the lions in the park have been declawed.

        He’s almost overpowered by Suja’s display of affection and has found that he has to be careful when lying on the grass with his friends.  They like to be in close contact and on one occasion there were two of them lying on him.  They were so heavy that he had trouble breathing.

        Lions like to rub heads with each other so Kevin does it, too.

        They also lick each other’s faces, as there is no other way to get them clean, but Kevin tries to avoid being licked as their tongues are covered with spiky papillae that cause skin to bleed.  He reciprocates that urge by grooming their manes with a wire brush that he carries.

         This is the photo that is used on the cover of the book.  It shows the affection that flows between the two.  Kevin spends a great deal of time with the lions, and they know and trust him.  When working with them for documentaries they almost always do what he wants, and he says that’s because “they want to”.

        Kevin’s life with animals seems to be a perfect match.  While growing up, he was so involved in breeding birds that he became known as The Birdman.  Then he had a spotted frog and after that an anaconda.  Back then, he thought of becoming a bird trainer, veterinarian, zookeeper, or game ranger.  He ruled out Zookeeper, later, as he feels that animals should be on an open range.

          It seems to me that he has the best of all worlds right now.  This review has covered only his activities with lions, but in the park where he works he has also been involved with jackals, hyenas, panthers, leopards, and jaguars.

        That will have to be the subject of another review.