Something that I think all cat people could relate to is the absolute desire to befriend all cats. Yes, all of them. Including the big ones. Heck, especially the big ones. My biggest dream is to become friends with a big cat. It's a dream that I know I will likely never achieve, but that doesn't stop it from being real. For now, I fawn over big cats in sanctuaries and zoos, and I write articles about other people living my dream. People who raise cheetahs and become their best friends. People who become part of lion prides. People who rescue bobcats, become their friends, and give them new purpose in life.
And today, a new story to add to the list, a new person to be jealous of- sorry, to admire. A story that reminds us that the lives of big cats in the wild are not always as simple as they seem, and that our doing the right thing and helping them is sometimes more than just "nice", it's necessary. Meet Frikkie Von Solms, a 69-year-old man, and Zion, the 11-year-old rescued lion who is his best friend.