The lion may be known as “the king of the jungle,” but 11-year-old Zion is nothing but a loving sweetheart to his caretaker Frikkie Von Solms, a 69-year-old man who lives and cares for big cats in southern Africa. Born to a lioness named Simba, Zion was separated from his parents as a cub due to fears that his hostile father would kill him. Von Solms stepped in to raise the young lion, bottle-feeding him and letting him sleep in his bed. As a result, Zion grew into a gentle, friendly soul who is now too domesticated to be able to return to the wild.
