You've seen the film and still photos before: an African plains lion
crouched in a stalking position, with only its eyes and the tips of its ears
showing above patches of dry grass. With an intensely concentrated stare, it
waits for the perfect opportunity to dart from its shelter and attack a
hapless wildebeest.
Imagine yourself in the lion's crosshairs right now.
I think everyone would see their lives flashing before their eyes, save
Kevin Richardson.
Nevertheless, Meg the lioness rushes into his arms after taking a few steps
into the river rather than murdering him with a single, skillful swipe of
her paw.
That's because Meg and her sister Amy have had a lifetime of mutual respect
and trust thanks to Kevin, also known as The Lion Whisperer. When they were
cubs, their mother abandoned them and let them to fend for themselves in a
wet ditch. Approximately one hour northeast of Johannesburg, South Africa,
Kevin led them into his refuge.
Kevin asserts, "I genuinely believe that Meg and Amy would have ended up in
the canned lion-hunting market in some way if I had never been able to get
them back."
In order to decrease the quantity of huge carnivores kept in captivity and
eventually outlaw the practice completely, along with the "canned" hunting
business, he built the refuge.
The film below, which is about five minutes long, was made in honor of
Cecil, a well-known and adored lion who resided on a reserve in Zimbabwe and
had a distinctive black-fringed mane.
When an American big-game hunter murdered him in July 2015 for recreational
purposes, outrage erupted from all across the world.
See Meg and Amy exploring their refuge in the video below, and let us know
whether you believe that they and other huge carnivores should be allowed to
enjoy their lives as nature intended!
Tags:
animals