Looking some of the world’s most deadly animals directly in the eye, Kevin Richardson has made a place for himself in the often dangerous animal kingdom. He’s broken every taboo working with lions, hyenas and other predators. Flouting common misconceptions that breaking an animal’s spirit is the best way to subdue them, he uses love, understanding and trust to develop deep personal bonds with them.
Richardson’s unique method of learning their individual personalities - what makes each one angry, happy, or irritated, like a mother to a child - has caused them to accept him like one of their own. Richardson sleeps with adult male lions, cuddles newborn hyenas, and swims with lionesses. This powerful connection has dispelled myths and shown these animals as complex creatures capable of human-like bonds. With Part of the Pride: My Life Among the Big Cats of Africa, Richardson, with novelist Tony Park, delves into the minds of the big cats to show how he became a part of the pride.
Emma Hurd met with Richardson and his lions earlier this year. Here is her spine tingling account of their first introduction to the Kings of the animal world.
As the gate swung open the three lions pounced. Powerful young males, within seconds they had wrestled the human intruder - Kevin Richardson - to the ground. We cowered behind the fence, fearing that our day filming with the famed “lion whisperer” of South Africa was about to come to an abrupt and
bloody end.“Are you ok in there,” I yelled, genuinely alarmed as Kevin was pinned down by a pile of writhing predators.
“Don’t worry,” he shouted back, emerging with a giant paw wrapped gently around his head. “This is normal,” he laughed.
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Image courtesy zimbio.com
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