Animal Expert Shares Video Proving Lions Are Really Just Big Cats
Given the chance, would you want to hug a lion? I'd be too afraid of becoming its next meal! While I think that lions are majestical and strong, I have a healthy fear of them. Animal expert Shandor Larenty works with them daily and has built a strong bond with one male lion. He shared a video on Thursday, January 18th of what unconditional lion love looks like, and it's actually quite adorable!
Located in South Africa, Shandor works at the Lion & Safari Park so big cats are a part of his life. In this video we see Shandor with George, an incredibly beautiful male lion. Shandor shows different clips throughout the video of him petting, cuddling, and kissing up on George. George doesn't mind it a bit, and in fact, it looks like George loves it!
Clearly @Shandor and George have a very special bond! It's so cool to see him be able to do this, and to gain the trust of the big cat. This proves that while lions might be fierce kings of the jungle, they really are just big kitty cats at heart! Commenter @Christa_Luv shared, "I never realized how big lions were until now and they’re so adorable!" Another commenter swooned, "The way he leans in for cuddles man!!!" @Skyler Jackson asked, "Will he let anyone love on him?" and Shandor replied, "No just myself and my dad". I think that makes this video even more special!
Related: Big Lion Spotted 'Making Biscuits' Like a Cat and It's So Precious
Similarities Between Cats and Lions
It's pretty obvious that there are some major differences between lions and cats, like size, where they live, and behaviors, but there are definitely some similarities as well. The first one that I could think of is that both lions and cats purr...well, kind of. Lions don't actually purr but they make a very similar sound called chuffing. It's how they greet others and shows friendliness. So, I was wrong about the purring, but there are similarities!
Lions and cats have very similar fur. The fur helps to camouflage them, and its thickness varies throughout the different seasons of the year to help them regulate their body temperature.
Unlike animals that hunt in packs (think a pack of wolves), cats and lions both prefer to hunt alone. They stalk their prey, and attack them by surprise...if you have a cat you know what I'm talking about!
Both lions and cats have extremely sharp teeth and retractable claws, necessary when you're a carnivore. If you have a cat at home, you know how happy they get to present you with a mouse or bird that they hunted and caught, leaving it at the doorstep for you to find.
While big cats are really cool to watch and observe from afar, I'm not interested in loving up on one of them! I think I'll just stick to the domesticated house cat or maybe a Maine coon cat instead.
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