Warning: Graphic content. A man shares such a close bond with a lion that it would shock most people — and he regards the wild animal as part of his family despite the imminent danger
A man who lives in Africa shares such a close bond with a lion that he considers it to be his “daughter” and despite the imminent danger the natural predator possesses, he says he doesn’t feel scared around her.
Valentin Gruener, 36, said he doesn’t feel an ounce of fear when out in the bush surrounded by wild animals and even shares prey with the 13-year-old lioness named Sirga. The pair have what Valentin describes as an unbreakable bond and he compares the relationship to being like a father and daughter.
A video clip of the pair tucking into a dead animal together has racked up 616,000 views and over 36,000 likes. The ranger from Modisa Wildlife Project in Botswana, told What’s The Jam: “Sharing a kill is the result of over a decade of trust-building. This didn’t happen by chance.
“Sirga grew up without siblings, so she’s never had to compete for food. She knows I’m not here to take her kill and she has no reason to be aggressive with me. I don’t fear for my safety with her.
“I respect her size and strength and I know how to handle myself so neither of us gets hurt. I’ve learned to read her moods and body language. Living here, surrounded by wild lions, leopards and snakes, I don’t feel fear. This is my home.”
In the video, Sirga is seen clamping down on the carcass of an Oryx antelope. Valentin uses a knife to cut a fillet, which he places on the branches of a thorn bush, ready to eat later. The man then slices a chunk of the meat and feeds it directly to the lioness from his hand with no other safety precautions or anyone else around.
After cooking up the fresh kill, Valentin tries to give Sirga another taste, but she rejects it before the pair appear to laugh together. The furry companion nuzzles into the man as the sun sets in the background.
Valentin said it was: “A moment I’ll never forget. Sharing a kill with her is an incredible feeling. Out there, with nothing but the sound of nature around us, it evokes something deeply primal — a connection you can’t really put into words.”
The video is just a small snippet of a clip shared on their Patreon, where the pair offer longer versions of their journey together. Users have flocked to the comments to share their reactions.
Melissa said: “Sirga’s like, bro, you ruined a perfectly good piece of meat but I love you anyway.” Jose added: “This is what being rich in life looks like.”
Latoya commented: “They share food??? This is straight out of a movie.” But despite the bewildered reactions, Valentin is quick to stress the rareness of the pair’s relationship and the steps it has taken for them to get to the stage where they are now.
He’s urging people not to try befriending a lion without proper training and even though he has never been in a life-or-death situation with the animal, he wants others to know that caution is necessary. He said: “My ability to join her hunts comes from years of mutual trust.
“We move slowly through the bush, reading the wind and creeping closer to prey. Most hunts fail as it’s much harder for a single lioness than a pride but my role is minimal. And I want to be clear: no one should try this. It’s not something you can replicate without the history we have.”
Valentin added that he grew up in southern Germany surrounded by animals and spent his days tending to them on a farm. But he never imagined he’d one day be raising a lion by himself after Sirga was abandoned by her mother in 2012. The ranger reared the cub who was on the cusp of death and their bond developed from there.
Today, Valentin lives without a hot shower, in an old caravan, in the wild to keep her healthy and happy. Valentin added: “I’ve made a lot of sacrifices. But I also have a fantastic team of ten people from the nearby village, who without them, this wouldn’t be possible.
“People told me that once she made a kill, our bond would end but she brought it to me, and that moment showed me how deep her trust runs. She could kill me in an instant, but she chooses not to. This life is full of sacrifices, no comforts, constant responsibility and an unpredictable environment. But it’s also full of meaning. Sirga is not a pet. She’s a lioness with wild instincts who happens to trust me, and that is the rarest thing I know.”