King Of The Jungle
Lions are the kings of the jungle and no one wants to mess with them! Their sharp claws and big teeth make them some of the world's fiercest predators. They practically feed on every mammal that lives in their habitat: wildebeest, giraffe, buffalo, and even rhinos and hippos, not to mention reptiles and smaller mammals.
But the fact that they're one of the deadliest predators doesn't mean that they are always safe. In fact, young cubs are vulnerable to hyena and leopard attacks. But sometimes, even adult lions can have their life at risk.
Ana Julia Torres And Her Shelter
Our story starts with a woman named Ana Julia Torres, who lives in Cali, Colombia. She's a teacher and runs a school in an impoverished neighborhood in Cali, but that's not the only thing she's known for.
Ana Julia also runs an animal shelter named Villa Lorena. It is one of the only private shelters in Colombia that looks after mistreated wildlife. The shelter is home to some 900 animals, who have been rescued from poaching and animal trafficking.
Lion In Danger
But one day, Ana Julia found out that there was a lion named Jupiter whose health was deteriorating. He had been so mistreated that he was on the brink of death.
Luckily for Jupiter, this woman didn't scare away and decided to help him out. While lions are known for being ferocious predators, this woman took it upon herself to save the hurt animal.
All Alone
But why did Ana Julia put her life at risk just to give Jupiter a hand? Well, one of the reasons she decided to rescue the lion and to help him when no one would, was because she knew his story.
You won't believe where the lion came from and why he was hurt. Keep on reading, cause this story seems right out of a movie!
Traveling Circus
The lion belonged to a traveling circus. The folks who were in charge of the circus used the lion to sell tickets but sadly, they didn't care that much about his health.
And obviously, Ana Julia's animal shelter is also strictly against animal exploitation in the entertainment business. Therefore, she was utterly determined to rescue the lion from the circus.
Not Being Cared For
Even though the lion was living in a circus cage, this wasn't the worst thing about it. He was in such bad shape because the folks at the circus didn't care much for him.
The lion didn't get the food he needed and he was treated badly. In fact, when Ana Julia found him, he had several marks on his skin, which seemed like wounds from whips. But luckily for Jupiter, his life changed for good...
A Safe Place
Without thinking about the medical bills she would need to pay, the woman rescued the lion from the traveling circus. Things were finally starting to look good for him.
The rescuer had no idea how the lion would repay her for her good deed, but as you're about to see, he will remember her forever!
Medical Care
Even though the lion wasn't used to being helped by humans, he quickly realized that the woman meant him no harm. The rescuer took the animal straight to the vet in hopes of getting him back in good health.
Have you ever wondered how much effort it must take in order to take a lion to the vet? For instance, imagine how much they must have struggled in order to put Jupiter inside the shelter's van. Fortunately, he was quite obedient. But after they went to the vet, how long do you think it took for the animal to get better?
Getting Better
After being kept at the vet for a couple of months, the lion's health started to get better, The woman was amazed to see how quickly he recovered, but she needed to do one more thing for him.
She needed to find him a place to stay. Because even though she was used to receiving new animals in her shelter all the time, a lion was no ordinary animal. It requires a very large place and hundreds of kilograms of food each week. Luckily, finding him a home turned out to be easier than expected…
A Place To Call Home
The last thing the woman needed to do to ensure that the lion was safe was to find him a place to call home. Therefore, she took him to a zoo and made arrangements with the owners so that they would care of him.
Fortunately, this was the best thing that ever happened to the lion. Check out the following pictures in order to see why.
All The Help He Needs
The woman made sure to tell the zoo to take care of the lion's needs before she left him there. The lion was finally safe and was getting all the proper food and nourishment that he needed.
To make things even better, the zoo loved having him around! And 8 years later, our favorite lion got the surprise of a lifetime... and everyone was left in awe!
Main Attraction
The lion's prowess made him one of the main attractions at the zoo. This ensured that he'd always be taken care of and that he'd never be hurt.
However, eight years later, Ana Julia Torres, the woman who had saved him, wanted to check up on him. But she sure didn't expect this to happen during their reunion…
The Reunion
Even though everyone advised her not to get too close to the lion, the woman didn't care for what they said. She wanted to see if the lion she rescued eight years ago remembered her.
So she approached the cage and clutched her hands to the bars, waiting to see the lion's reaction. What happened next shocked everyone!
Everyone Is Shocked
The lion reached through the bars and grabbed the woman! This shocked and terrified everyone who was witnessing the moment.
At first, nobody knew if the lion's reaction was a display of affection or an attack. What was going to happen to the woman? Was the lion going to hurt her?
He Recognizes Her!
The lion quickly pulled the woman close to his face. Luckily, his intentions weren't to hurt her because he recognized her!
You're probably wondering how we can be sure of this, right? Well, keep on reading and find out! The story is truly unbelievable.
Big Hug
The reason why the lion grabbed the woman so tight was that he wanted to give her a big hug! Isn't it heartbreaking? If you don't believe me, look it up, because there's live footage of this moment on Youtube.
The lion recognized her after eight years. It is widely known that elephants have a great memory and are capable of remembering people's faces, but this case proved that lions aren't too different! But that's not even all!
Incredible Moment
This moment was so incredible that at the moment, no one could believe it was actually happening. No one ever expected a lion to remember the person who saved him eight years before.
Nonetheless, this woman took a risk getting close to him but it was all worth it. Check out how grateful the lion was!
Grateful Lion
The woman shared an amazing moment with the lion and we're glad that the animal recognized her because things could've turned bad in an instant!
However, this is not the only lion that ever cared for its rescuer. Check out these awesome pictures that are coming up next!
Lions And Their Rescuers
There are a couple more stories about lions who got attached to their rescuers, but these stories are rare.
Can you imagine how crazy it would be to standing right next to a lion? Well, the picture above shows the reunion of a young man and the lion he had rescued before.
Wild Cats
The most amazing thing about lions acting this way around people is that they play around just like normal cats, the only difference being their size.
As a matter of fact, it's a known fact that lions are sociable creatures. The thing is, they're sociable between each other, but they don't tend to interact with humans! Would you ever get this close a lion? I for once would rather just sit this one out!