Today I wrestled a lion, sustaining only minor scratches & bites. Thankfully he is only 7 weeks old. There are 5 cubs - Simba, Mufasa, Nyala and Kiara are all 7 weeks old whilst little Surabi is only 5 weeks old. and only survived through intervention as her mother ate her two siblings. They are adorable but it wont be long before they will be too big to wrestle with but for now they are such fun - when they are awake! I've added some photos which speak for themselves.
Edited August 2014 - I have recently discovered much publicity regarding the hand-raising of big cats in particular. Canned hunting is big business - a dirty business whereby those with more money than sense pay to shoot lions/tigers (who are not even native to Africa) but may equally opt to kill a rhino or elephant (although these are generally more at risk from poachers). African wildlife is being pushed to the brink of extinction is some species through human greed and arrogance. Whilst it is true that being in close contact with these majestic animals is a wonderful experience, you have to ask yourself whether you are contributing to a life of misery if they are to be sold to zoos or penned into small cages to be set free long enough for a rich hunter to shoot them. Many places will tell you its part of a conservation project, but you need to research further. Where is the mother? Why are these animals being hand-reared? Most will be unable to be released into the wild, so where are they going? How often do they have 'orphans'? Please do your homework before you support this growing problem. I can honestly say that I was unaware of the implications, but knowing what I do now, I would have demanded more concrete answers. Generating more income is not an acceptable reason.
