With all the Walking with lions debate & the controversy of canned hunting & some of the lion park in SA.
I have always been fascinated by the story of Kevin Richardson & his relationship with Lions & other predators.
Unlike the other TV Celebrities He does not have the muscle bound “Oh Look at Me” image of others that are more famous or those that keep big cats as pets to compensate for their own personality disorders.
I know the animals are used extensivly for advertising & film work but it looks as if there is a true bond.

[URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wso13n4kHZ4]Watch Kevin here[/URL]

But what is your oppinion?

Fascinating – I think you showed us another small film some time back.
This is very good for wildlife as it does open peoples eyes that animals do have feelings as well and they must be looked after and saved.
Too many people think animals are “just” animals so why treat them with respect and good feelings?
He does just that and shows there can be a real bond – in his case with lions but this can be done with any animal.

Kevin truly has a special gift for working with large predators - amazing and beautiful to watch. Saw a film with him hand-raising Spotted Hyena pups and of course he was just as loving with them.

Wish Animal Planet would have more of this kind of programming. Of late, they seem to have taken an unfortunate detour - now showing all the hideous, horrible human-wildlife conflicts (big cats, elephants, bears, chimps ripping people apart) - a complete reversal of their earlier programming which tended to be more sympathetic toward wildlife. This type of programming teaches people to be fearful and gives people the excuse to trophy hunt these magnificent beings.

Wonder if this unfortunate change to tabloid programming is just here in the USA? Has anybody else noticed this change in Animal Planet programming?

I have noticed the change here in Italy as well at times on the program.
You are correct and my kids are asking as well why are they so bad to people.
However I understand that at times it is necessary to make people aware of the types of danger out there as having lived in Africa - we had plenty of tourists in our lodges that were crazy!
Back in the 80's 2 got horned by buffalo as they decided to go for a walk on their own and take some photos of the latter.
However - yes I have noticed the change and prefered what they had before. Maybe they are running out of film ideas....?

Modern technology brings everything into our home, sat in our own parlour we can sit & watch an animal in the womb before it is even born!

As a child I was hooked on Armand and Michaela Denis wildlife films. Those flickering, often ghosted images of early television, of far away places I could only dream of from artists impressions from boys comics!
Then technology improved, screens reached a staggering 12"...Enormous!
Dad removed the big magnifying glass to increase the picture size! It was also ment to change the image to colour! It Did! It Did!...Honest! Well in my eyes it did! Even though all you saw was like a rainbow effect! Rainbow elephants, rainbow lions!....... Wow zebra were something else!..... psychedelia before the 60 's!
Then the first Satellite broadcast, then colour, then David Attenborough, then living Planet, Planet Earth & so on & so forth till nothing was new that was left for us to watch.

Program makers needed something new! They turned our wildlife documentaries into life stories from birth to death & gave animals human feelings & names.

By now it was a ratings war, chasing the advertisers dollar, Joe public wanted more, he now had bloody computer games, reality TV, as much gore as he wanted. Lions killing elephants! Killer Whales beaching for sea lion pups!
“More Gore!” “More Gore!” Shouted Joe Public!

Walt Disney & Beatrice Potter Are long gone……. Alas.

True -

Kipper you should take up writing - and that is not meant as a joke at all.