This is an great video! Lioness Trusts Man with Her Newborn Cubs.

I would call this MUTUAL TRUST!!

Quite amazing...
http://stories-etc.com/lioness.htm

Thanks Jan, Kevin Richardson.

Kipper: I just hadn't seen this particular video before.

I fully expect that at some point this guy will be killed by one of his lions. Despite the fact that they know him well, they are wild animals and no-one can predict what will happen.

I just got my Sheldrick Trust February newsletter. It talks of Shida, the 8 year old rhino, that wes raised at the Trust and had been living free in Nairobi National Park. He came back to the Trust daily around the time of the noon mudbath for the baby elephants when all the tourists were there. He would be put in his stockade and fed and allowed to enjoy the company of Max, the blind rhino, and after the tourists left he would be released and would go back to Nairobi National Park to live his free life. He has never been a problem to either humans or animals.

However, the other day the keepers were escorting the baby elephants out into the bush and Shida was ahead of them. A very young female orphaned elephant ran up to him and he wheeled around and tossed her a few times. The keepers yelled, screamed and threw things at him to stop his rage at the baby elephant, and eventually when he was hit on the head with a stone he stopped. It was then the Trust realized that before a human or animal was hurt or killed Shida would have to be translocated. He is now residing in Tsavo.

This was an animal who knew and loved people and the orphaned elephants and had never reacted negatively to any of them. What caused this onslaught no-one knows. Any wild animal is capable of behavior outside their norm, and I hope and pray Kevin and his lions stay safe.

Ah but Jan have you never had an off day or snapped at your husband?

The diference is the damage a wild animal can do on an off day, or when it snaps.

I've had all too many "off days" Kipper However, I rarely "snap" and never with violence. I think the only time I could really get violent is in wanting to kill poachers, Chinese who put out contracts on elephants and rhinos and also the natives who often carry out the orders for a few shillings. Africa has GOT to again start the shoot to kill orders for poachers. Their courts don't take it seriously and just release these monsters with a slap on the wrist.

Perhaps since Shida is now a free rhino he feels danger with anyone coming up from behind him and just reacted normally. Luckily the baby elephant was not killed. Wildlife is never totally predictable and I hope Kevin stays safe with his pride of lions.