It’s play: Lion Whisperer on being physical with lions

[@freyagoffin6948]

RIP Amy

[@deemariedubois4916]

Freya Goffin 💔Amy miss you.

[@TheSKARProductions]

Bug facts! Rip to our baby girl ❤️❤️❤️

[@freyagoffin6948]

@@zunghsi a very special lioness who unfortunately has left us not so long ago

[@MsNoPixel]

taehyung김태형 how in the hell do you not know who Amy is? Also if you watched this video you’d know it was a lioness, Kevin literally talks about her a few times in this video.

[@neos4247]

taehyung김태형 u serious??? 😏

[@treasure2behold282]

This interviewer actually allows Kevin to speak his truth.

[@Omgbbqhaxlolol]

I definitely understand his shame behind this encounter with Thor, i've never seen that lion be anything shy of amazing, and I could imagine how it would feel, to see that lion get pushed so far, that he had to tell you "Enough is enough" but also, that he was so composed about it to push him up against the fence, and let him go, to say "I don't want to hurt you, please stop" and I think after all these years with these lions, no matter who you are, that would be heartbreaking to say the least.

[@KalinTheZola]

Yeah it's really a testament to their bond that Thor didn't rip him to shreds when he had the chance. It showed a great amount of restraint on Thor's part. I'm not surprised it took so long to rebuild that bond.

[@Dave68Goliath]

I think it was the Thor struck by Lightning in 2013. There is a video, Thor the White Lion from 2015. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYqxk2mZedSSsJY&pp=ygUdTGlwbiBXaGlzcGVyZXIgdGhvciBsaWdodG5pbmc%3D

[@guyfanno1]

You realize that that was a different Thor.

[@pnut3844able]

It was another lion that has passed away.

[@KarenRiffe]

RIP Thor and Amy. Our Lion Angel's flying high now. Gosh I am so crying like a baby. I get so emotional when talking about these two.

[@irodmal8495]

I like the thunder and rain in the background's video, really appreciate it, so peaceful.

[@XMorbidReignX]

Noticed it when they started talking about Thor. The lion who was born in a thunderstorm; who died in a thunderstorm

[@carlosarizcun_97]

man, despite the fact that he´s showing the reality of working with these animals, he´s always said he hasn´t had that many situations with the lions in fact i remember him saying his worst experiences have been with hyenas, and then again, not that many, that just goes to show that for one you still have to respect them because they´re wild and dangerous, and two, that respect he gives them rewards him with amazing experiences with them and he gets to enjoy them without being in constant danger, because he knows the boundaries, he knows the limits, he respects, and he gets trust and love in return. He´s literally a hero for me, what an amazing man and what an amazing work he´s doing. Tanks for the interviews with kevin, graham, this was very well done and researched!

[@KofWands2QofCups]

He said it's not love on their part. He may love them but it's not like that with them. He said that one has to be careful of that. I wish he had expounded on that, though.

[@dragondane4807]

Thank you for you and your lions! I suffer from PTSD after being at war - you and your lions keep me sane. Love from a Dane

[@alisonoosthuizen2512]

Wow - thought I knew all the stories - hadn't heard this one about Thor!

[@amacuro]

Type "Kevin Richardson with White Lion Thor" in KZbin, he tells the story there. It's one of the last videos of Thor before he died as well.

[@alisonoosthuizen2512]

@@amacuro thank you!

[@amacuro]

@Astro Bastro Well it's the official story. I guess I believe it because why would they lie?

[@amacuro]

@Astro Bastro No no, i have been following Richardson for years now and actually his main message to proctect lions is against canned hunting. He is a huge voice against that industry. You can look it up.

[@KarenRiffe]

I had not heard this about Thor either. He was my favorite. Now it is Bobcat.

[@Metatron2228]

What an amazing interview Graham is so professional, it was great seen it in national television here in Chicago. I been following Kevin for a long time and appreciate all the lion videos. 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@stringtheoryguitars4952]

Tremendous insight in this clip. Kevin gives the lions the space and respect they deserve, and they repay him with their trust. He always refers to these as "relationships" and now I understand why. Thank you Graham!

[@Kilimanjaro1267]

Think for a second , lions hate water .so much trust they have on him that the lioness went to him into the water that mean she said is ok to be in the water

[@TheSynecdoche]

Not all lions hate water. There is a tale on YT about goings-on in a German zoo which houses two lion brothers. One absolutely hates water, his brother happily dives in and swims, picking up stuff. Individuals.

[@JenniferPinto]

And this lioness in particular, Meg, she and her sister Amy were dropped into the water trough by their mother when they were cubs. So one would think that the childhood trauma associated with water would make them even more afraid of water. But that didn't happen

[@mollym2955]

Marlon Dominguez ... it’s true, the trust factor and a lions natural affinity to water means nothing, while in the presence of Kevin. Love and respect are seen in both the animal and the human!

[@KalinTheZola]

Meg has always been an outlier cat as has Amy. Both are (now were: RIP Amy) a rarity in that they don't unsheathe their claws according to Kevin and in Meg's case she has always loved the water.

[@cjp592]

Kevin is one of the best person in the world. He's the man.

[@gretchenalexiskracht2328]

✨That was a serious lesson learned. Kevin jeopardizing a relationship with a lion was so not his way. I love watching Kevin interact with his beasties. It’s not simply lions he relates, all animals have his great respect. Lions are the most impressive though. He has the heart of a lion. He is an intelligent lovely fellow.✨🐾

[@helenclarke4735]

That was a long time ago. He learned much of what he knows about the animals by rote.

[@rachelschwebach7566]

I love Kevin and the lions. 💕🦁💕

[@irodmal8495]

Me too

[@patriciacatino3891]

Love hearing Kevin talk about his experiences with Lions. Love everything Kevin shares as can see he is real and has so much knowledge

[@realitynotfictionii563]

*Love Kevin, so much care for this beautiful animals. Amy will always live forever xo*

[@bustarogers9990]

How the hell does this only have 5k views??? Awesome vids.

[@samanthaflynn6140]

16K now!!

[@cherylpage7415]

Gosh I love this interview ... the history, the information plus the thunderstorm going on just adds a punctuation! XO ❤

[@whitexchina]

I didn't know about the attacks. Kevin should always think about his inner voice. He knows best. If people want to shoot a film with his lions, they better bring enough funds, because money & time can never be a reason to pressure these animals. I don't really like using animals for entertainment anyway. But I can understand that Kevin had to make a decision. It's a lot of money for his sanctuary.

[@poweredbymoonlight9869]

DOn't be so quick to judge. That's not it! HE made the movies AS A WAY TO GET FUNDS TO MAKE THE ENCLOSURES AND SANCTUARY HIS LIONS HAS TODAY BECAUSE HE NEEDED THE MONEY FOR CARING OF THE LIONS THE BEST POSSIBLE! Never for himself or anything else, and it's not easy to get all these funds at all when many things are against you for many reasons. Yes he felt some of those pressures but no-one can be perfect. He did some mistakes that he knows he did and learned from it. All these lions are VERY dear to him. Plus he would *never* be abusive and it was his own idea to make a movie with real lions plus plus his methods on it was way better than other people handling such animals by leaps.

[@KalinTheZola]

Yeah I'm glad he got the chance to learn his lesson about not breaking his bonds with the lions for the sake of making humans happy. Some unlucker people wouldn't have gotten that opportunity. With Thor especially though, if he actually wanted to rip up Kevin he could have done it in an instant. It's a testament to the bond they once had when Thor was alive. Ironically enough, Thor passed away due to a lightning strike. It's hard to believe. It was apparently right in front of Kevin too and he held onto his friend and wept. God remembering Thor is difficult because of that reason. What a beautiful cat.

[@KalinTheZola]

@@poweredbymoonlight9869 Calm down, they're not judging, they said they understand why he did it. As you said, it's for the sanctuary. Why are you all capsing over this?

[@musicmann6812]

He's amazing. Because he knows full well that he could die at any moment, but it doesn't put him off. He's truly doing what God sent him here to do. Much respect 👊

[@kerimahamid4078]

Thank You Graham ...Your interview was super successful coz the questions u asked Kev enabled us to get a deeper n wider insight into the life n strife of Kev It was very interesting God bless u two...Best wishes frm Srilanka

[@yokosumida9286]

This was such a great interview- thank you!!!

[@BillyN31]

Yoko Sumida are you in Japan?

[@yokosumida9286]

@@BillyN31 Canada

[@BillyN31]

Yoko Sumida ahhh. I’m in the us in Connecticut

[@KatherineUribe-1]

Kevin really understands, appreciates, and above all, respects the lions, hyenas & leopards at the sanctuary. He's come a long way, but his foundation has been love & respect. I love the work that he's done, support the causes he advocates and donate what I can. Mostly, I try to do what Keviin does (in my small way) to inform folks about the plight of lions, captive and wild. They're worth saving! 💕🦁💕

[@MsNoPixel]

I absolutely love Kevin & even though I pretty much know everything about him, the lions & every story Kevin has ever told, I still had to binge watch this Lion Whisperer playlist just because of how amazing Kevin is. Thankyou so much for these videos!

[@michaelambrosano938]

I love Kevin,..this guy is as real as they come

[@KelliSpiritfilledWood-jp6ip]

What Kevin does w/lions is a picture of Heaven on earth!!!! Bless you Kevin for your service!!!! ♥️🕊🦁

[@karinyoshi]

That's exactly how I feel about my rescued dogs... why would i ruin a perfect relationship I've nurtured for so long... to make people happy? This guy is great, he DOES know animals

[@lilfeet66]

Kevin you are amazing! I don’t know how you don’t have scars all over you! I know they don’t mean it but they’e so unbelievably strong!

[@helenclarke4735]

I bet he does have scars all over him. He said the lions have never put him in hospital altho tho they beat him up regularly in play, but the hyenas have. They have much more tricky personalities and from what I understand are constantly fighting each other for their place in the clan, which means of course he has to be rough with them sometimes, toss them around or swing them under their arms. He's never hurt one tho, so he's ended up in the hospital sometimes.

[@helenclarke4735]

I know of one time when Kevin was working at the first lion park and was holding a hyena and a car stopped and honked their horn. It scared the hyena and it bit down on the first available thing which was Kevin's arm. Hyenas have a super strong biting force so when it bit down it was a serious injury. Of course he dropped it. Then a lady leaned out of the car window and asked Kevin, who was bleeding all over the place, to pick up the hyena so she could get a picture.

[@lilfeet66]

Helen Clarke omg Helen thanks for sharing! You see how it s stupid people doing stupid things that sets the animals off!! When do hyenas ever hear cars honking??

[@helenclarke4735]

@@lilfeet66 That park is huge, and was made so the people could drive around looking at the prey species running free. But they did have a large hyena enclosure so that people could see how a hyena clan works. The way in understand it, the predators like lions, leopard and jaguars were kept fenced. This is all from his book.

[@Africa-ky1bg]

Kevin~ This piece is a masterpiece on the beauty of what you do 🐾 & who you are.🐾 Love from Detroit. 💕

[@WhoDatNaton]

Let a lion charge me 3 times. I promise you by that third charge the lion is charging a corpse! My soul would have left like "I'mma head out bruh" 😂

[@mikebutler7605]

Hearing the thunder on the plains of Africa is one of the coolest sounds. Makes me wish I was on the porch with them.

[@leobuscaglia5576]

Lions not loving water is a natural evolution towards self preservation since the rivers in Africa are filled with dangerous predators like crocodiles or aggressive territorial animals like the hippopotamus and it makes sense for Lions to avoid putting themselves in a vulnerable position. Tigers, on the other hand, live in a habitat where there are usually no crocodiles or hippos in the water bodies and prey is often plentiful in the vicinity.

[@michaeltaylor8835]

Wow an African rainstorm

[@thetooginator153]

Kevin has been so successful because he considers every attack to be HIS fault. To Kevin, there is no such thing as a “bad” cat - only a cat that has been traumatized and needs love and care more than other cats. To my knowledge, no cat that Kevin has raised from a cub has ever attacked him in anger. In over zealous play? Yes. Anger? No. Also, most lionesses are great mothers, but some just don’t have a maternal instinct. Again, not the lioness’ fault, simply a fact of life.

[@univerzaltruth6481]

Maternal instinct is not a given in any species. Unlike the animal kingdom humans are ignorant of this fact.

[@lilfeet66]

I listen to every word he says carefully and it translates to how I view all animals....especially how Not to anthropomorphizing them! We cannot put how we feel what we would do on them. They operate on a whole other level of senses and instinct.....pure survival skills!

[@lilfeet66]

It s so stupid and arrogant of man to want to control that!!

[@clara-nt9rx]

They have. Thor attacked him once. Theyre lions in the sanctionary kevin doesnt have a great relationship with.

[@trentmcgready3312]

Graham is legend and will be truly missed if he's gone.

[@shonagiffen4913]

Amazing Lions and Good kind man Kevin x

[@jennifermurray4387]

Great interview 👍, thank you so much. 💕💕💖

[@MsNoPixel]

Amy 💔😭

[@debiprasadghatak2]

Kevin You are so brave and what you are doing is really awesome

[@sandervw123]

What a great man is this guy!

[@usamatexas]

Youre a great interviewer. You always do great research and ask insightful questions.

[@helenclarke4735]

I love the rains down in Africa.--Toto

[@brucespringtree1310]

Really awesome interview

[@ludmilalapshinaabramina6950]

Com grande respeito pelo Kevin Richardson..❤❤❤

[@mollym2955]

As a relative newcomer (less than 6 mos) this interview was very interesting and enlightening to the incidents that have occurred. Kevin I notice that when you take a pride on an Enrichment Walk, if you’re not behind SOME of the lions, and all the while providing commentary, your always pivoting / scanning your head to side to side, and to your immediate backside. I guess what I’m getting at is your always 360• keenly aware of what is happening. Loved the interview!

[@marcusjknight]

Kevin gives us hope for our species.

[@maggiethecat1538]

I just watched a video called KR introduces Graham To The Big Cats, where Kevin said that there is "no love going on with the Lions". I have the utmost respect for you kevin, but that statement boggled my mind. Of course Lions don't think like people, thank God, but to say they don't experience love is just not true. Amy WAITED for your return before she passed away. That, dear Kevin, is LOVE.. 🦁 Maybe a visit from Anna Brechenbach would give a new perspective.

[@deborahfox5401]

Jordan Caspius - You speak the truth.

[@maggiethecat1538]

@@deborahfox5401 Thankyou.. 🦁🙏💖

[@rachelschwebach7566]

Jordan Caspius I don’t think Kevin will see this message. Send him a message on Instagram. I too would love to see Anna Breytenbach come talk to the animals at Kevin’s sanctuary. 😊 I would love to know what Meg would have to say. 💕🦁💕

[@maggiethecat1538]

@@rachelschwebach7566 hi.. I'm not on any other social media.. But Thankyou for your suggestion.. Blessings to you.❤🦁❤

[@cookiedee8473]

Yes, yes!...Anna's input would be such a compliment to what we already know about the animals in his Sanctuary. Excellent suggestion😘

[@tylertexastech]

3:14 goes Indian for a sec lmao

[@jimijackson]

Watching this while stoned makes you tense for him lol

[@Dachdogoriginal]

Scary. Definitely know your limits.

[@angelamartekimarkwei8608]

What an experience!

[@relevantinformation6655]

Fascinating !

[@kazzzzzdaghli]

RIP ishka and Amy

[@Jackasses]

I can smell the rain.

[@kingofallmediums2123]

Kevin definitely has his life insurance paid up! 😂

[@ramblesash7995]

Dude if theres any links for any of these moments in video form I'd love them

[@DemetriusJRoss]

Somebody’s gotta do it but wouldn’t be me

[@patriciagarrett4243]

Do not EVER declaw any cat...makes them aggressive. Why would you declaw a lion or any cat big or small...crazy. I have a male cat who was declawed when I adopted him...he bites and gnaws you. Not fun. Plus they need those claws to help them bring down prey and to climb.

[@Lady8D]

Is there actually recording of the Thor attack? If it's not too traumatic for Kev, is there a way to see that, if it indeed exists?

[@andrediaz573]

Como podría? Él no usa camarógrafo salvo excepciones. No creo que mientras Thor lo atacaba el pudiera grabar. Bastante estúpida pregunta. Y morbosa además. Te gusta ver sangre o qué? Enfermo demente.

[@kennethsatria6607]

The lion who attacked him was named Tsavo?

[@helenclarke4735]

yes

[@mellymom1121]

You have to watch the movie "The Ghost and The Darkness" with Val Killmer. Great movie and based on actual events.

[@jaszminejohnston8167]

Hmmm if he struggled filming "the white lion" with Thor i wonder how hard it is to actually film not just lions, but any animal...?

[@Sam-iy1nt]

Lessons!

[@kitten2lv99]

Wasn’t tabby meg and Amy’s mum? Kev how many cubs did tabby have and who is meg and Amy’s dad?

[@helenclarke4735]

I think he said here the Tsavo was their dad. But I believe he misspoke. From many interviews he's given, either Tau or Napoleon was probably their dad. He's not sure which.

[@JenniferPinto]

He did once mentioned that he was attacked by Meg and Amy's dad once. I think it might be Tsavo

[@helenclarke4735]

​@@JenniferPinto I don't know this for sure, but lionesses stay in the same natal pride their whole lives. I thought Tabby was a lioness in Tau and Napoleon's pride. She wouldn't have mated outside her pride. But I could be wrong. She may have been with Tsavo.

[@judihart9658]

Video Title."It's play."😂🤭☝️Fuck with him?&you get a very different story.⚡😁🤷‍♀️💖💪👍😎#Lioness!☺️

[@helenapaixao1333]

Amei amei amei amei amei amei lindo maravilhoso eu amo ❤️💚❤️💞🌞🌝🌈🌟🌛 meu anjo azul 💙💚💛💚💚💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙🌦️🌛🌝🌜

[@helenapaixao1333]

Amar meu Deus te ama e eu também ❤️💔

[@helenapaixao1333]

Quanto mais eu te. Vejo mais eu. Quero 😍❤️🦁

[@katybardinu8491]

❤👍

[@sandrarhymer7162]

Kevin is Tsavo Amy and Meg’s dad?

[@helenclarke4735]

Tabby is their mother, and she was in Tau and Napoleon's pride. I can't see her mating outside her natal pride. So it is very doubtful.

[@sandrarhymer7162]

Helen Clarke Thank you.Someone agrees with you. Somewhere I saw Tau and Napoleon weighed 600 pounds.I think in Kevin’s book Part of the Pride. If that is true, no wonder Amy and Meg are large. In Moving Lions in Lockdown on May 6,2020, Kevin was moving different lions, coming to Renalti’s group, only Renalti and Icarus moved. I wonder if Delta is OK. Maybe they took him later as usual. Their quirks are hilarious. Siam wants to load inside the enclosure

[@helenclarke4735]

@@sandrarhymer7162 I haven't seen Delta in forever. Kevin said once the lions seem to die when he is away. He only mentions their deaths when it happens on camera and Amy of course :( I think Delta may have died. The only members left of that pride are Unati and Icarus. I'm pretty sure Rafiki died.

[@sandrarhymer7162]

Helen Clarke Have you seen Ndira? I would so love to keep a little biography of each precious one in a notebook to remember them by.It makes me so happy that Kevin knows them so well that he gets help when ones’ behavior gets bad, Amy’s behavior went back to normal after being spayed, Yame stopped the aggressive behavior after Dr Caldwell treated him for that high level of pheromones. Meg’s high testosterone mane causing hormone was helped by spaying. They should be commended for the way they pulled Bongani through. You can tell how well they’re taken care of because of their sleek healthy hair and I have never seen such manes.

[@helenclarke4735]

@@sandrarhymer7162 I've se