Christian The Lion (True Story)

[Kwan Khan]

So touching.
This Lion has loyalty more than some people

http://hypevideos.com/2010/11/22/christian-the-lion/?ref=nf

 

[Leo Ticheli]

This very lion jumped on me in London. I was in an antique shop, on King's Road, I think, and half-way down the stairs I saw a lion come out of a doorway. One second later it had it's paws around my waist and I was looking down at big lion teeth.

Finally I heard a voice say, "Oh Christian, you stop that!" One of his owners pulled him off me and assured me the lion was harmless as he pushed him back into his room.

What are the odds of having a lion jump on you in an antique store in downtown London?

Nothing much really surprises me since then. OK, yes it does, but it shouldn't.

Good shooting and best regards,

Leo

 

[Sean Lee]

That's a good story Leo, wish I had seen that!

 

[Leo Ticheli]

It frightened the hell out of me! Must have been back in 1968 or so. My beautiful young wife was a the top of the stairs and she ran for her life!

After I recovered, I was offered a cup of tea and had a nice chat with the one of the owners. Years later I discovered what a celebrity Christian was.

Good shooting and best regards,

Leo

 

[ericyoung]

Great video and great story Leo (appropriate first name for this thread!)

 

[Tim Hole]

He is a legend, if you haven't seen the full documentary it is worth seeing. The segment you posted is near the end. There is a longer version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvCjyWp3rEk

The other guy in the video is George Adamson of Joy and George Adamson (Bornfreee) who organised the reintroduction into the wild.

Thanks for the reminder Kwan, such a beautiful piece of footage. Incidently I believe Sony were trying to acquire the rights to Christians story a few years ago. No idea if it went anywhere.

 

[Craig Ryan]

I saw the full documentary on TV this year, I forget which channel aired it.

Very moving indeed, especially for those of us who've had pets and can understand that kind of bond.

 

[Jeff Coatney]

I love that story. When you are around cats everyday, you begin to get an appreciation for how sophisticated they are, in spite of their aloof reputation. It saddens me that Tigers are now so endangered, they may likely vanish from our planet in just a few years.

 

[Liam Hall]

I remember reading that someone was going to make a movie about Christian the Lion, can't imagine that would be easy!

The other guy in the video is George Adamson of Joy and George Adamson (Bornfreee) who organised the reintroduction into the wild.

Both of whom were murdered, George by a poacher and Joy by a local laborer.

 

[Tim Hole]

I didn't know he was killed by poachers, although I did hear the killer of Joy made some pretty big comments about how she treated her workers. She had a temper apparently.