Can you imagine a lion so domesticated that he has even shared the same bed with his owner? Now you have an opportunity to see one!
Frikkie Von Solms has reared 11-year-old Zion since birth as the cub could not live in the wilderness. A lion grown as a pet is so friendly he lives with 18 other lions, cheetahs and leopards.
Speaking about some Zion’s features Mr Von Solms, who regularly ride in his truck with a lion, says that the king of the jungle dislikes noise that is why Mr Von Solms always walks barefoot next to the lion.
Later he said, “Since Zion, I have raised nineteen lions, and leopards and cheetahs. But he is special because of the bond we share. I learnt so much from him. It was a once in a lifetime experience to grow up with him and learn and live with him through all of the stages of being a lion.
People talk about lions like they are just lions but they have personalities, they have humour and laugh. Zion is a gentle giant. He has never attacked humans and I trust him completely.”
This is not the first time animals develop strong bonds with a man. Earlier we posted an article about a 57-year-old woman who is obsessed with tigers and keeps them as pets in the back garden of her home in Orlando, Florida, USA.