I guess you folks have seen Lion Reunion or had someone tell you the wonderful???? story of a pet lion that was returned to the wild, only to remember its "owners" when they came to visit years later?

I've always thought that a lion, released into the wild, absent a pride and a place in the pecking order, the training of his mother, etc. would probably be dead in a month.

Does anyone know what the heck went on here?

I suspect that the lion wasn't really released, but is fed supplementally and still has human contact. Anyone know?

That said, I got a tiny kitten from the pound to keep my puppy company. The damn thing, with no training whatsoever, is the most efficient hunter I've ever seen. This week he has brought me a live rabbit bigger than he, a full-grown marsh hen and last night when I got home, he was eating a dove under my dining room table. (I have to close my dog door, I guess). I can't count the little tweet birds that he leaves in the garage.

Maybe that lion has some kitty genes?

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:


I've always thought that a lion, released into the wild, absent a pride and a place in the pecking order, the training of his mother, etc. would probably be dead in a month.



Maybe that lion has some kitty genes?

I don't know the details of the story of the Lion coming to greet his previous owner but I have seen house cats stalking and attacking prey a couple of times and it is a great sight.

Saeed has posted the pictures of his cheetahs hunting birds and they have been hand fed ever since they were little cubs.

There is also a video of a hand raised tiger in Africa who is is chasing a couple of blesboks, takes one very fast and goes straight for the throat. The video says that it was his first hunt.

I guess cats have an awareness of their strengths and instincts.

quote:

That said, I got a tiny kitten from the pound to keep my puppy company. The damn thing, with no training whatsoever, is the most efficient hunter I've ever seen. This week he has brought me a live rabbit bigger than he, a full-grown marsh hen and last night when I got home, he was eating a dove under my dining room table. (I have to close my dog door, I guess). I can't count the little tweet birds that he leaves in the garage.

No insult intended, but that is why I drill everyone I see.

Flame on.

Different strokes, I reckon. No offense unless I see you in my part of the woods with a .223!


Actually, the cat is a neutered tom and not going to leave around a bunch or feral kitties. I do think it irresponsible to have fertile domesticated animals, dogs, too, running around loose.

Interestingly, my cat didn't kill the rabbit or the marsh hen, just brought them in to shit on the floor, I guess. And shit they did until I caught them and got them back outside.

The tweets are/were English sparrows, an induced species at that and considered pests. I've trained my cat to leave song birds alone and he has lost his text-mail privileges for killing the dove.

Well if you can ratchet him down to sparrows only, turn him loose!

I saw the two guys on the morning show (with Matt and Meredith) and they showed the video of the reunion with their lion, Christian. Also in the video was George Adamson of the Joy/George Adamson/ Born Free fame. Somewhere I read that George Adamson worked with Christian and he eventually lived in the wild on his own. Then George lost track of him and no one knows what happened to him.

Christian film with George Adamson

So I would guess that the "wild" that he was released to was George Adamson's farm....

Just watched an hour long program about this lion. According to this, the lion was released in Kora area of Kenya which shows on google earth to be a natioal park/game reserve. Adamson's was quoted as saying/believing the lion had habituated, become established in a pride of wild lions. quein sabe

Yes, George Adamson's camp was at Kora Reserve (south side of Tana River from Meru Nat Park.
George looked after these animals but I'm not sure if they ever became truly wild.
George was Killed buy bandits and for memory the Lion's where moved to Botswana.

LOL trained to leave song birds alone. I shoot every feral cat i see in the woods they make great target practice. Anyone that lets their cats run wild is doing everyone a diservice. The wild birds and small game have enough pressure from wild predators than to have to deal with someone letting their cats run around making a sport of it. Keep the thing in your house and let it shit in a box where it will leave the small game animals alone.