South Africa's 'lion whisperer' gets up close with big cats

[Judi Lynn]

Renee Graham, Associated Press

Updated 11:15 am, Monday, May 29, 2017





DINOKENG GAME RESERVE, South Africa (AP) — The male lion brushes through the tall grass and strides into a clearing in a South African wildlife sanctuary. A man beckons the big cat with purring sounds. The lion, Bayetsi, responds with a gentle growl and caresses Kevin Richardson, popularly known as the "lion whisperer," with its mane.

Richardson hopes his hands-on stunts with lions will highlight the plight of the African predator, whose numbers have dwindled. It also thrusts him into a sensitive debate about human interaction with lions; some conservationists say Richardson's message is sound and sincere, but note the limits of what he can do to address big-picture problems facing the vulnerable species.
 
The number of lions in the wild in Africa has dropped by more than 40 percent to about 20,000 in the past two decades, according to some estimates.
 
Made for viral viewing on social media, the spectacle of Richardson lounging and cavorting with lions as though they were house pets might resemble a circus act in the African bush. But he uses the attention to condemn the South African industry in which customers kill captive-bred lions in relatively confined areas.

More:
http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/South-Africa-s-lion-whisperer-gets-up-close-11180231.php