Wow...that is unbelievable. And the other wild lions being passive is crazy! How is that even possible?

This really is quite amazing.

Part of me believes all is as stated, because I know that there are a lot of mammals who exhibit this kind of behavior, including very small lower mammals like prairie dogs.

The skeptic in me, though, has to question the legitimacy. I guess if I knew who the "guys in the vid" were, when and where it was shot, and those things could be confirmed via a reliable source; I suppose I'd drop my skepticism.

It is, after all, a video... on the internet... and looks very much like something my GF's mom would forward to me in an email.

This really is quite amazing.

Part of me believes all is as stated, because I know that there are a lot of mammals who exhibit this kind of behavior, including very small lower mammals like prairie dogs.

The skeptic in me, though, has to question the legitimacy. I guess if I knew who the "guys in the vid" were, when and where it was shot, and those things could be confirmed via a reliable source; I suppose I'd drop my skepticism.

It is, after all, a video... on the internet... and looks very much like something my GF's mom would forward to me in an email.

Hmmm...

Yeah. The more I think about this one, the more I have to call BS.

The video is obviously from, say, the early 80's. I think the fact that the video is silent is telling. Maybe this is from some kind of show from the era, and the proper narration would ruin the illusion. Seriously...

I also find it difficult to believe that a lion would be "reared" to such an age and released in to the wild. Not many naturalists would do that rather than sending the lion to a rescue, refuge, or zoo.

This definitely does look like some kind of reunion, but I'm thinking it's more likely a couple of trainers visiting a "pet" at a rescue or zoo.

This is Christian the lion with Anthony Bourke and John Rendall

More information here

This is a documentary, filmed around 1970, the true and undoctored story of another lion that Born Free's George Adamson returned to life in the wild. The backstory is that 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.

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.

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, and came up with the idea of making a documentary movie of it all, this movie, to fund the project. The movie starts with a re-creation of when Travers was introduced to Christian. Everything from then on was filmed as it happened.

Christian is an absolute joy to watch in this movie. The love he shows, his intelligence, his joie de vie, are beautiful.

As the movie unfolds, you begin to realize that as much as George Adamson was a bridge between the worlds of humans and animals, so was Christian.

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

When a 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.

This is a movie that needs a proper DVD release. That seems unlikely, so this VHS tape, taken from a 16mm print of the film, may be your one and only chance to see this beautiful, moving story.

Kudos to Jo Ann for some good, factual information.

I'm always a skeptic -- and frequently a cynic -- but this is a heartwarming tale.

Not because of the whole Disney-esque thing of it all (I fucking hate people who anthropomorphize animals), but because it shows that just as some human beings are sociopaths, or just plain assholes who'll hurt or even destroy other human beings (or animals) for their own benefit (or just for the hell of it) -- there are also predatory animals whose natural instincts are occasionally overcome by those social instincts that makes them enjoy the companionship, the friendship of other creatures -- no matter what species, race or creed.

Oh, and those haircuts, those pants, that wide belt -- 70s, definitely...

Mind ya -- Grizzly Man -- moron...

I thought I might have noticed the tame lion signaling the other; by rubbing its head under the lions neck as a form of communication; perhaps "its cool dudes"...

"I fucking hate people who anthropomorphize animals"

Get over yourself and find a more important reason to hate someone. Jesus... so typical.

Just read this article on hugging pandas:

http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2007/06/05/AR2007060501315.html

This was amazing. If you enjoyed this and haven't yet seen the films by National Geographic of Dian Fossey with the primates she was studying in the Virunga mountains, check them out--so touching. I am very impressed with the video linked here because Fossey was working with primates (essentially our cousins), whereas bonding with felines is more difficult if they have any wild heritage at all -- heck, even many so-called domesticated cats are so feral that they never socialize to contact with humans. Impressive -- thanks for posting this!

"And the other wild lions being passive is crazy! How is that even possible?"

Supposition: The one lion acting in lion-social ways towards the humans acts as a sort of signal to the other lions that said humans are lion-ish creatures rather than a threat/food. It's not so much humans anthropomorphising lions as lions leomorphising humans.

Jo Ann, thanks much for posting the follow up information. I have one problem with the vid and the infor, the lion in the vid clip appears to be an adult female not a male. Like wise the other lion that allowed itself to be touched, a younger female. Males and females don't exactly hang out together.

I do not claim any advanced knowledge on the subject but I believe that was a female lion. Any lion knowledgable persons reading this care to chime in? Please.

The DVD is available from the Born Free Foundation:

http://www.bornfree.org.uk/shop/acatalog/Videos_and_DVDs.html

Stills on the web make it clear this clip is from that movie.

"I fucking hate people who anthropomorphize animals" Get over yourself and find a more important reason to hate someone. Jesus... so typical. -- clownfish

Well, I hate trolls, too. And don't even get me started on retarded trolls -- I hate retarded trolls even more.

I'm still confused about the gender of the lion in the vid. Pictures I've seen of Christian show an obvious male lion but the one in the vid appears to be female.

I love the vid. My wife and i have watched it several times with great joy. It's the first time I've seen a lion behave like a big dog with the hugging and face licking. It's like being love mauled by a Newfie, only stranger.

But, I still believe there is an identification problem regarding which of the lions is in the vid.

I'm confused now too Thomas... :/

Was that Page and Plant?

The lion in the video looks like a young male lion to me - with one exception. I don't see testicles (no clear shot in the video, but if he was well-endowed, I think they would be visible). I wonder if he was neutered; that might make him more docile. Not to mention what lion spray would smell like...

I love cats (domesticated and otherwise), and that video is probably something like every cat lover's secret fantasy...BUT...as "heartwarming" as the video is, I'm bothered by the implication in some of the posts above (and in the quote that JoAnn shared) that a lion that loves humans is somehow a great triumph, something to be strived for. Lions are wild animals, and they belong in the wild. They don't belong in zoos or in people's back yards. It is normal for them to be vicious.

I'd like to find out how Christian did in the wild. Did he hunt effectively? Was he competitive with other lions?

peace

my goodness. this is delightful, and i think all (really all) of the comments on this are interesting and insightful. certainly one of the more unusual threads i've seen one this site, which i'll say has become one of my favorite spots on the web. my cat digs it too.

This is very interesting. I would not go back to visit an adult lion even if I'm sure he loves me too much to hurt me.

My cat pretends she's hunting all the time and jumps from under the bed and bites my feet. Its totally playful and she means no harm. But if she was a full adult lion with those same playful instincts, I'd be a dead man.

Isn't it the same with mice? House cats kill mice, not because they are hunting prey, but because they are playing a little too rough.

Mature male lions range from completely maneless to full mane, not all of them are "typical", and of course the mane in adolescents is lesser as it is in human teenagers. All of the pictures of Christian that I've seen show him with more "chops" than a full mane. I can also see clear testicles in this film, especially after the first big embrace. The youtube version of the film is a little clearer, at least on my computer, and I can clearly see them swinging. They may be on the small side, but females never have anything swinging there. Of course, I have also a lot of experience identifying the sex of feral kittens, so perhaps I'm a little more experienced at looking...?

As for lions hanging out, adolescent lions stay in the pride until maturity when they are driven out. However, these lions were influenced a great deal by George Adamson, so that may have changed some of their behavior.

Mature male lions range from completely maneless to full mane, not all of them are "typical", and of course the mane in adolescents is lesser as it is in human teenagers. All of the pictures of Christian that I've seen show him with more "chops" than a full mane. I can also see clear testicles in this film, especially after the first big embrace. The youtube version of the film is a little clearer, at least on my computer, and I can clearly see them swinging. They may be on the small side, but females never have anything swinging there. Of course, I have also a lot of experience identifying the sex of feral kittens, so perhaps I'm a little more experienced at looking...?

As for lions hanging out, adolescent lions stay in the pride until maturity when they are driven out. However, these lions were influenced a great deal by George Adamson, so that may have changed some of their behavior.

Mature male lions range from completely maneless to full mane, not all of them are "typical", and of course the mane in adolescents is lesser as it is in human teenagers. All of the pictures of Christian that I've seen show him with more "chops" than a full mane. I can also see clear testicles in this film, especially after the first big embrace. The youtube version of the film is a little clearer, at least on my computer, and I can clearly see them swinging. They may be on the small side, but females never have anything swinging there. Of course, I have also a lot of experience identifying the sex of feral kittens, so perhaps I'm a little more experienced at looking...?

As for lions hanging out, adolescent lions stay in the pride until maturity when they are driven out. However, these lions were influenced a great deal by George Adamson, so that may have changed some of their behavior.

Sorry about the repeats, I don't know why it posted my comment 3 times.