Thursday, 20 October 2011

christian the lion

A few weeks ago I was told this amazing story about Christian the lion.

Back in 1969, when it was still legal, Australian John Rendall and his friend Ace Berg, bought a lion cub from Harrods.  His name was Christian.

He lived the high-life and was regularly seen in the back of a bently cruising down the Kings Road.  He spent his days lounging in a furniture shop and gained admiring and terrified glances from passers by.

When he grew too big for their apartment and the cost of his care became too much, they decided to release him back to the wild.  Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the film Born Free, met Christian when they visited Rendell and Bourke's furniture shop and suggested they seek the help of kenyan conservationist George Adamson (who with the help of his Joy, had released Elsa the lioness back into the wild).  They agreed to take him to his compound in Kora National Reserve.

A couple of years later they decided to visit Christian at the compound.  Adamson warned them that he probably wouldn't recognise them after so many years.  However after a cautious approach, Christian bounded over to them and smothered them with hugs and kisses.  It's such a wonderful heartwarming reunion.

See it here youtube
images via daily mail and google

5 comments:

  1. Awww!!!
    How sweet is that? Thanks for sharing.
    Ali x

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  2. Such a sweet video of when they were reunited.....
    x

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  3. I saw this programme a while back , it was crackers! It could of only happened in the seventies. x

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  4. awh this is so fantastic - made me cry! Have you seen this. Less romantic but heartwarming none the less and it is another example of how great animals are.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HJTG6RRN4E

    Sx

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