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[KingstonsMom]

Astonishing footage has been released showing a South African conservationist known as the 'Lion Whisperer' cuddling a lioness he rescued at birth.

In nerve-wracking slow-motion footage, Kevin Richardson is seen standing in water as an enormous lion jumps towards him from the reeds in a seemingly predatory attack. 

But the lion - one of two rescued by Richardson when they were rejected their by their mother - is actually just diving in for a cuddle. 

In the GoPro video, he explains that he has an 'unspoken language' with the beasts - Meg and Amy. 

He said in the video: 'When I call Meg and she comes swimming and I see in her face, "if I come to you are you going to catch me?".

'She looks at me, I look at her - and we know. That's trust.'

Between clips of Kevin stroking the lions, he says that their mother abandoned them in a 'ditch'. 

He said that rather than see them in cages, he preferred to give them a chance of a better quality of life.

So he took them out of their enclosures and put them in a wildlife park with other animals. 

But if he and the lions had not had their 'history', Kevin believes they would have ended up 'in some shape or form' as part of the lion hunting market. 

He added: 'Definitely, in my mind, they were destined for a bullet.' 

His video is titled 'For the Love of Lions'.     

It is dedicated to Cecil the Lion, a 13-year-old male who lived in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe before he was killed by an American big game hunter in 2015.

More photos and video here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4798828/Astonishing-moment-lion-whisperer-catches-HUGS-lion....

[Yardlie]

@KingstonsMom ... Awww...what a sweet video!

[butterfly123]

@KingstonsMom

Thank you for the heartwarming smiles. 

[mistriTsquirrel]

Is...the lion gone yet?

[Sueliz]

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@KingstonsMom wrote:

Astonishing footage has been released showing a South African conservationist known as the 'Lion Whisperer' cuddling a lioness he rescued at birth.

In nerve-wracking slow-motion footage, Kevin Richardson is seen standing in water as an enormous lion jumps towards him from the reeds in a seemingly predatory attack. 

But the lion - one of two rescued by Richardson when they were rejected their by their mother - is actually just diving in for a cuddle. 

In the GoPro video, he explains that he has an 'unspoken language' with the beasts - Meg and Amy. 

He said in the video: 'When I call Meg and she comes swimming and I see in her face, "if I come to you are you going to catch me?".

'She looks at me, I look at her - and we know. That's trust.'

Between clips of Kevin stroking the lions, he says that their mother abandoned them in a 'ditch'. 

He said that rather than see them in cages, he preferred to give them a chance of a better quality of life.

So he took them out of their enclosures and put them in a wildlife park with other animals. 

But if he and the lions had not had their 'history', Kevin believes they would have ended up 'in some shape or form' as part of the lion hunting market. 

He added: 'Definitely, in my mind, they were destined for a bullet.' 

His video is titled 'For the Love of Lions'.     

It is dedicated to Cecil the Lion, a 13-year-old male who lived in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe before he was killed by an American big game hunter in 2015.

More photos and video here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4798828/Astonishing-moment-lion-whisperer-catches-HUGS-lion....

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I just saw this in the Daily Mail, amazing! Thanks for sharing @KingstonsMom!

[Lucky Charm]

That video could have gone two ways, luckily for the *whisperer*--it went well.

I think for a millisecond even he thought it could have gone badly.

[KingstonsMom]

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@mistriTsquirrel wrote:

Is...the lion gone yet?

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@mistriTsquirrel

BIG LOL!

ETA -  What a sweet little squirrelly face!

[beach-mom]

@KingstonsMom - TY so much for posting! It sounds like he sees the two lionesses he rescued quite a bit. I have no doubt they recognize his smell and probably his voice. Lions are dangerous of course, but they have brains. She's hugging her adoptive "daddy"! Kudos for Kevin for letting them roam free in a safe place! 

[KingstonsMom]

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@Lucky Charm wrote:

That video could have gone two ways, luckily for the *whisperer*--it went well.

I think for a millisecond even he thought it could have gone badly.

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@Lucky Charm

I know! After living in the wild since he released them, you know he had to be praying hard, that she still recognized him and had not totally reverted to her natural, wild instincts!

I have to admit that I would not have been brave enough......kudos to him!

[Qshopper1991]

Absolutey amazing!  Thanks for sharing