Friendship knows no boundaries, regardless of language, culture, distance, or even species. While most pet owners rant & rave about dogs and cats being a man’s best friend, wildlife enthusiast Valentin Gruener has a friend of a different caliber, one who would likely paralyze most people with fear if she even opened her mouth to say “Hello!” Val can confidently claim that Sirga, a lion, is his best friend. They have such a strong bond that they leap at each other whenever they see each other. Someone managed to capture these touching encounters on video, and it went viral on TikTok for all the right reasons. Val considers Sirga to be one of the gentlest lions in the world, but he advises against trying to befriend her for fear of serious consequences: “Despite her size, she is always gentle and friendly.” But I’m the only one who talks to her. It would be dangerous for her to be around people she isn’t familiar with.”
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Sirga, the gentle-lioness, and Valentin, her favorite human and caregiver, will be introduced.
Image credits: sirgathelioness
This is Val’s recollection of their first meeting. “It started ten years ago when Sirga’s mother stopped feeding her and I had to raise her on my own.”
Their video of mutual hugs went viral on TikTok just recently.
Many scenes in the video show Sirga being ecstatic to meet Valentin.
Bear hugs!? Try a lion hug
Image credits: sirgathelioness
Sirga is the only cub who has made it through the early days.
Image credits: sirgathelioness
Sirga’s life circumstances were initially difficult. “On February 25, 2012, Sirga the lioness was born into a family of wild lions that were captured after being identified as ‘problem-animals’ in livestock areas. The lions were kept and cared for at Willie de Graaff Grassland Bushman Lodge-grounds, near Ghanzi, in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana, where they were raised and trained.”
Image credits: sirgathelioness
Valentin started taking care of her after her mother refused to feed her.
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They formed an immediate bond
Image credits: sirgathelioness
Image credits: sirgathelioness
Image credits: sirgathelioness
The Sirga developed the habit of hugging Valentin at that time.
Image credits: sirgathelioness
Image credits: sirgathelioness
Image credits: sirgathelioness
Over time, Sirga grew and grew.
Image credits: sirgathelioness
