Caption: Best of the Rest - Christian the Lion

Posted: 06/30/2008 8:19pm

Category: Pets

If you've not heard the story of Christian the Lion, it's one you should know. In 1969, two Australians living in London, saw a lion cub for sale in a small cage at Harrods Department Store.

The two men took the cub to their apartment, made a big litter box and raised him as a pet. After almost a year, Christian grew too large to remain a pet. The owners made arrangements to fly Christian to Kenya where conservationist George Adamson would try to rehabilitate him back into the wild.

Within months Christian was the head of a pride. A year later the men returned to Kenya to try and find their former pet who hadn't been seen in nine months. They were told if they could find him, he would no longer recognize them.

The night before the two men arrived in Kenya, Christian returned with his lioness and cubs to the camp where he was rehabilitated. Adamson often talked about the mysterious, apparently telepathic communication skills of lions - particularly between lions and men. He believed Christians return to camp was proof of a sixth sense possessed by lions.

The next day the men walked out of camp to look for Christian. This video shows what happened next. After a reunion that lasted all day and all night, Christian returned to his pride and was never seen again. True story.