SeaWayBLOG: Swimming with a lion

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Swimming with a lion

Look at the incredible picture here above... what's the first thing that come to your mind?
For me the first was "hey... look at their expressions thay just seem like a couple that has been found cuddling and now they're feeling a mixture of bothered and embarrassed" and the second was "Woa.. look at the head of that lion it's HUGE!".
Whatever has come to your mind it seems quite clear that the guy in the water is doing something that's quite unusual... taking dip with a 185kg lioness!

However for the guy in these pictures this is just normal and the big cat is just a close friend of him: Meg the lioness! The man name is Kevin Richardson, 34, zoologist and animal behaviourist, often nicknamed "The Lion Whisperer" is known for is unusual (but indeed succesful) way to raise and interact with some of the most dangerous animals on earth, above all lions and hyenas!

With his unusual methods, Kevin has developed some exceptionally personal bonds with his students, playing, sleeping and even swimming with animals. Meg and her sister Amy are among his closest friends. In these picture Kevin and Meg, the huge lioness are playfully splashing for pure fun in the Crocodile River, in "The Kingdom Of The White Lion", a 650-hectare area near Johannesburg, South Africa.
he Kingdom Of The White Lion help to fund predator research in Botswana and are actively involved in creating awareness around the globe.

These pictures are truly wonderful but maybe looking at the following video of the bath it's the best way to understand how strong is the bond between Kevin and this lioness. Take a look, it's awesome: