Have you ever seen any ferocious animal cuddling a human? Even hugging and cuddling any untamed animal can be quite dangerous. Well, it’s possible when you’re a caregiver and love animals.
Yes, meet Valentin Gruener, who receives hugs and cuddles from Sirga, a lioness.
Valentin is the human parent of Sirga, and she simply repays her caregiver with hugs and cuddles. Valentin is the co-founder of the Modisa Wildlife Project which is currently operating in Botswana.
He started raising Sirga when she was only a few days old. Sirga the lioness was very weak at the time of birth and she was the only child of her mother, who was alive at that time. Her parents had abandoned her to fend for herself after all her other siblings passed away. If Valentin and his team had not saved her, then she would not have survived in the wilderness.
When Valentin found Sirga, she was very vulnerable and weighed merely 4 lbs. He took Sirga with him and put her on a drip to treat severe dehydration. Valentine decided to fatten up Sirga and transform her to be like other wild animals.
Within a year, she was fully weaned and weighed 175 lbs. Valentine has become assured that Sirga is well-fed and ready for further training. There is no doubt that she is the most spoiled lioness in Botswana.
Sirga did not know about hunting, and Valentine had to get down and dirty while training. Sirga was taught to stalk, kill, and live as any other wild lion would, Valentine.
Valentin spent most of his time crouching in scrubland and pouncing in watering holes along with the lioness.
Valentine was the only one who could make her learn to survive in the wild because she had no other lion role models in her life. He was there by her side all the time.
Ultimately at the age of 3, Sirga initiated her lessons on how to survive in the wild. Now Sirga hunts her food and catches animals such as antelopes. She even allows Valentine to stay beside her while she enjoys her prey.
You can observe the heartwarming bond between this lioness and her human father. They can also be seen playing and cuddling together. Sirga runs over to greet Valentin with hugs and cuddles, whenever she sees him. The story of Sirga and Valentin proves that the size and ferocity of creatures don’t matter, they are still grateful to those who love and take care of them.
Hope, their bond will never cease to exist as long as they live. God bless both of them.
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