An adorable video of a South African man who became an “unexpected lion father” to an abandoned lion cub – Sigra – has gone viral on social media. The video, shared on Instagram by Valentin Gruener, shows the extraordinary bond with the little lioness.
Valentin Gruener, co-founder of the Modisa Wildlife Project in Botswana, told the story of how he met and raised the lion cub Sigra, who was born in 2012 in a facility for problem lions in Botswana.
“If this is your first time hearing our story, welcome! I’m Val and I have raised a lion cub named Sirga. She was born in 2012 at a problem lion facility in Botswana, where they are taken after they are caught killing livestock on farmland,” he said in his post.
Gruener stepped in, provided the necessary care and became what he described as an “unexpected lion father.”
In the first few days, Sigra was weak and dehydrated, but under Gruener’s care, she gradually regained her strength and grew into a spirited lioness.
Gruener fondly remembers their long walks together in the Kalahari, a testament to their bond.
“Sirga’s siblings died shortly after birth and she was abandoned. I took her in, put her on an IV and unexpectedly became a lion father. In her first days she was extremely weak and dehydrated, but gradually she gained strength. She grew into a lively lion cub and we enjoyed long walks together in the Kalahari,” he said.
Finding a permanent home for Sigra was not easy. Releasing her into the wild was not an option as she had become “too accustomed to human contact”.
The risk of them approaching villages and potentially causing damage was too great. In addition, the loss of the lions’ natural habitat made it difficult to find a suitable place for them.
Fortunately, Gruener and his team managed to establish a 2,000-hectare reserve where Sigra could live freely under their watchful eyes.
“This area is six times the size of Central Park in New York City and offers a huge space that she shares with many herbivores and wildlife of the Kalahari. Sirga wears a satellite tracking collar that transmits her location every two hours, so we always know where she is,” he said.
Watch the video here:
The video has gone viral on Instagram, garnering over 10 million views to date. Social media users have praised the incredible bond between Gruener and Sigra, highlighting the lioness’s gentle nature despite her size.
Check out some comments on the post here:
This is not the first time the story has made headlines, as the video was originally shared on TikTok in 2021.
