Christian, will make you laugh, cry and e-mail all your friends!
So, out of a biblical sense of irony, they name the lion "Christian".The name became even more fitting when the Vicar of the St.John's Church, gave them permission to exercise Christian in the Church courtyard.(On video)
A story published by The Daily Mail newspaper, said the pair lived underneath the furniture store they worked, and ferried Christian about town in the back of a Bentley.
Mick Jagger lived on the same street, and Christian soon would became something of a local celebrity. He would even acompany Rendall and Bourke to various restaurants.It seems every one loved Christian after all,he was one Kool cat! Being a lion cub he was headed to adolescence. And grow he did!Christian the Lion
The video below,says it all. A must watch.
He grew and grew - from 35lb when he first arrived to a rather more serious and imposing 185lb a year later - and he was beginning to acquire a mane that made him look more fearsome. It was costing a small fortune to feed him, and they really didn't know what to do.
He clearly could not stay with his two young owners for ever.
His future was cast by a chance encounter.The actors Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna walked into the shop to buy a pine desk.
They had recently starred in the film Born Free, which tells the true story of the wildlife conservationist George Adamson and his wife Joy, who raised a lion cub called Elsa in Kenya then rehabilitated it into the wild.
And they immediately suggested that Adamson might be able to help.
The video below, says more than a thousand words of love. This is what you must witness!
The Lion At Worlds End (Movie 1971)
Christian used to lie beside me while I did the accounts at weekends," remembers Jennifer Mary Taylor, who worked at the furniture store.
"And every so often, if I'd ignored him for too long, he'd sock me across the head with one of his great big paws.
"He was very loving and affectionate - he liked to stand and put his paws on your shoulders. But he was...", she pauses. "I mean, he was a lion. Does that sound silly?"
Christian the lion arrived in
Chelsea at a time when the King's Road - home to Mick Jagger - was the very heart of the Swinging Sixties.
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During that year, the Big Cat was part of it all, cruising the streets in the back of a Bentley, popping in for lunch at Casserole, a local restaurant, even posing for a Biba fashion advert.
He eventually grew too big to be kept as a pet and was taken to Kenya, where he was rehabilitated into the wild by the 'Lion Man', George Adamson.
Now, his story has been told in a book, "A Lion Called Christian" written by the Australian John Rendall who, along with his friend (Anthony) "Ace" Berg, bought Christian from Harrods in 1969. Below is the original reunion video gone viral. The one, everyone is talking about!.The second video includes the interview made with Bourke and Rendall on the today show, The 2nd video is 35 years later than the original video which just recently became an "overnight", media sensation.
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The two Australians, express joy and happiness for the love and curiousity, directed at their former pet. Enjoy............
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Christian was flown to Kenya in a specially-made crate emblazoned with the words, 'East African Airways. London-Nairobi. Christian - male lion, 12 months'. John and Ace went with him."I think George Adamson got quite a shock when he met us," says Rendall. "Straight from the King's Road, in all our gear - flares from Granny Takes A Trip, and with hair everywhere.
"We looked rather different from everyone else in Nairobi. But then so did Christian. He'd come from winter in England, so had a very thick coat - he was almost as hairy as we were."
Adamson wanted to drive straight to the Kora Reserve, close to the Tana river, where there was no human habitation. This, he felt, would be the ideal spot to build a camp.
Because lions live and hunt in prides, and it is hard to impose a new male on an existing one, the plan was to introduce Christian into the wild in tandem with Boy, one of the tame beasts who had starred in Born Free.
Together, they would form the nucleus of a new pride - and the whole project would be funded by a TV programme.
Christian was marshalled into the back of a Land Rover, with straw on the floor and chicken-wire separating him from his friends on the front seat. It was all rather confusing for a lion accustomed to the butter-soft leather of a Bentley. And he was hot. And dusty. And confused. Not long into the journey, Rendall ventured, "Mr Adamson, he needs to go to the loo."
Adamson was impatient.
"We're miles from anywhere. If we stop here and he runs away, we will never, ever catch him."
"Mr Adamson," promised Rendall, "that is not going to happen."
The great Lion Man turned his head, sucked on his pipe and pulled over on the dirt road.
Rendall opened the back of the car, and Christian jumped out to take his first real steps on African soil.
To his evident disgust, it was prickly and hot. He clearly didn't like it one bit.
Rendall picks up the story, "So he went tip-toeing along and went to the loo. Considerably. Then he looked around and I said, 'OK, come on, back in,' pointed back at the car - and in he jumped.
"I got back in the car, too, shut the door and George Adamson turned round and said to me, 'That is quite remarkable. You may call me George.'"
Kora, an area that now has National Park status, lies about 220 miles to the north-east of Nairobi. The scenery is rugged - densely packed with knotty thorn bushes, with just a narrow corridor of greenery that follows the course of the Tana river. And so Christian arrived at the camp, which Adamson's brother had built from macuti - palm fronds - chicken-wire and mud.
The conservationist went off again and returned a couple of days later with Boy, the lion from Born Free. At that time, Boy was very fragile, as his shoulder had been shattered in a nasty encounter with a buffalo. But he was the first fully-grown lion that Christian had seen since leaving Ilfracombe zoo as a cub.
The first meeting was explosive. Normal lion protocol dictates that the younger male should be subservient to the dominant male. But Christian, more schooled in Sloane than feline etiquette, sashayed fearlessly towards Boy. Fortunately, Christian and Boy, though in adjacent compounds, were separated by a wire fence. In fury at the perceived slight, Boy flung himself against it - until Christian, suddenly realising his faux pas, slunk away with his belly close to the ground.
This process was repeated over and over again until Adamson felt confident enough to allow the pair to meet without the safety barrier of the fence.
"First, Boy left his compound," recalls Rendall. "Then Christian went out to meet him.
"Boy took one look - and he clobbered him. Christian didn't fight back. He rolled over on his back. That went on for day after day, until Boy was obviously satisfied that Christian knew who was boss - and they became totally inseparable."
Adamson had also acquired a female lion cub, Katania, to add to the pride, and she seemed to act as an intermediary between the two males. Each day, the three lions would go out for a walk in the bush, Boy first, Katania in the middle, then Christian - with Adamson, carrying a rifle in case he needed to scare anything off, at the rear.
(Christian and little friend).
For Christian, there were some tricky moments, such as the time he spied a rhino and tried to stalk it, only for the beast to hurl him through the air in a cloud of dust.
"I saw Boy turn and look at Christian," says Rendall. "There was a look on his face, as if to say: 'You absolute fool. What a howler of a blunder.'"
Slowly, progress was made. The biggest threat to Christian and Boy were the wild lions that stalked the reserve, which Boy was fighting to establish as his territory.
Then, one day, there was a tragedy that caused the whole project to be called into question. A chef called Stanley had left the safety of the compound to look for wild honey. He hadn't realised Boy was nearby, and when he saw him, he tried to flee.
Running away was the worst action he could have taken. Adamson, hearing Stanley's screams, came running and shot Boy through the heart - but it was too late. Stanley had been bitten through the jugular and died an hour later.
The outcry that followed almost brought the lion project to a halt, but Adamson found some support for his work among other conservationists, dug in his heels and carried on. John Rendall and Ace Berg continued to make sporadic visits to Kenya, but mostly they followed Christian's adventures from afar.
Finally, in 1974, George Adamson wrote to say that the pride was self-sufficient. Christian was defending it. There was a litter of cubs. They were feeding themselves and rarely returned to camp.
The King's Road lion had finally adapted to the wild.
This was a bittersweet moment for all concerned. Rendall and Ace decided to travel to Kora one last time, in the hope of being able to say goodbye, though Adamson warned them that it would almost certainly be a wasted mission.
"Christian hasn't been here for nine months. We have no reason to think he's dead - there have been no reports of lions poached or killed. But he may never come back," he said.
Rendall recalls, "We said: 'OK. We appreciate that, but we'll come anyway and see you.'" They flew to Nairobi then took a small plane to the camp in Kora, where Adamson came out to meet them. "Christian arrived last night, " he said simply. "He's here with his lionesses and his cubs. He's outside the camp on his favourite rock. He's waiting for you."
Only the heedless Lion sleeps under the Booloo tree after his lunch of Blood!
Adamson and his wife Joy often talked about the mysterious, apparently telepathic communication skills of lions - particularly between lions and men. Both believed that lions were possessed of a sixth sense and George was convinced that a scientific explanation would one day be found. And here, it seemed, was the proof.
"Christian stared at us in a very intense way," says Rendall. "I knew his expressions and I could see he was interested. We called him and he stood up and started to walk towards us very slowly.
"Then, as if he had become convinced it was us, he ran towards us, threw himself on to us, knocked us over, knocked George over and hugged us, like he used to, with his paws on our shoulders.
"Everyone was crying. We were crying, George was crying, even the lion was nearly crying."
"The lionesses were far from pleased. There was a lot of growling and spitting," continues Rendall.
"'George said: 'This isn't safe - we'd better go.' So we each put a hand on Christian's back and he walked with us back to camp."
The reunion party went on all night and into the morning. Leaving his exhausted companions to go to their beds, Christian returned to his pride.
"We watched him go back to the two lionesses, who were not at all happy with this man, smelling of nicotine, whisky and humans," says Rendall.
"He just walloped the two of them with his paw, then collapsed."
And that was the last anyone ever saw of him.
For the next 14 years, George Adamson remained at Kora, rehabilitating several other lions and ignoring warnings from the authorities, who did not consider it safe for him to stay. Then, in 1989, he was ambushed and murdered by bandits. He died with a gun in his hand and, in accordance with his wishes, was buried at Kora.
Following his death, his supporters formed the George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust, which now does work in Kora as well as in Tanzania, where it is reintroducing the endangered black rhino and hunting dog. The trust's chief aim is keep alive Adamson's dream of a place where animals can roam free - a fitting epitaph not just for the great conservationist but also for the lion who once lived in Chelsea.
New YouTube vids
George and Joy Adamson
Living in the wild.
Christian the Lion and Ace. >---------->NOTE: Christian was living in the wild but as with George's other Lion friends,
retained his trust and friendship with his respected human friend, George.
George's wife Joy Adamson wrote (using George's notes) the best selling book Born Free.
Later the book was made into the movie Born Free. The movie Born Free won 2 Academy
Awards and was nominated for a third. It also was nominated for 3 Golden Globe Awards.
No man who has ever lived has known more about Lions on a personal level than George Adamson.
He lived in a remote area of Kenya, East Africa called the Kora Reserve(Now a National Park).
On that fatefull day the three of them stayed up all night together partying like old frat buddies. The following day, Christian returned to the brush. His two lioness' were obviously not happy upon Christian's return.
They no doubt didn't like the smell of whiskey, nicotine and worst of all,"Humans". Christian swatted the two in the head. He was never heard or seen again. George Adamson, "The Lion Man", had been warned several times that this particular area wasn't safe. A few years later, was killed by bandits. Today the area known as "Kora",is a protected national park, in honor of George Adamson. Joy Adamson, would then go on to pen, "Born Free".Years later Joy Adamson would be killed by a disgruntled employee over pay.
The "Today Show interview", 35 years after the original video was made.
<---Click on the poster to see Today show interview.
The original video shows Christian romping and playing in the St John's Church courtyard and chronicles the reunion of Christian,"Ace Berg aka "Ace" Bourke,and John Rendall.The reunion takes place in Kora,today a wildlife preserve in Africa which incidently was founded by George and Joy Adamson of "Born Free" fame.
One year after Christian was rehabilitated into the wild, Ace and John seek out their lovable cub not knowing what to expect.
The "Interview" also contains additional footage of Christian introducing his mate, a fierce lioness.
The book written by the two Aussies, appears below. It is one of those books that are hard to come by. Perhaps special order from Amazon. The book is included in the Amazon link.
Great Stuff on Amazon
The Lion King (Little Golden Book)
Amazon Price: $2.99 (as of 07/05/2009) 
Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/05/2009)
Born Free: The Incredible Story of Elsa the Lioness
Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2009)
![Christian the Lion [VHS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21XP4M9YN9L._SL75_.jpg)
A Lion Called Christian
Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2009)
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Great Stuff on Amazon
Christian the Lion (The Lion Who Thought He Was People)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2009)
A Lion Called Christian: The True Story of the Remarkable Bond between Two Friends and a Lion
Amazon Price: $14.93 (as of 07/05/2009)
Christian the Lion
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 07/05/2009)
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Fein MultiMaster FMM 250Q Top
Amazon Price: $399.00 (as of 07/05/2009)
Skil 2372-01 7.2-Volt Li-Ion Power Wrench
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Durabuilt™ 180-pc. Power Tool Accessories Kit
Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 07/05/2009)
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<a href="http://www.cafepress.com/psychics3">Shop for Kool stuff here.</a>
Aslan Rocks! Bib
Aslan is on the move in your wardrobe! Or on your coffe mug or sticker or apron or whatever! Check out these gifts for the "inner Narnia" in you! NARNIA ROCKS!
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Couch-Covers-Melanie wrote...
Fantastic lens! Beautiful photos and heartbreaking video! I am an animal lover so i really enjoy lenses like this!
5 stars for you!
PS: Did you know couch covers can be real moneysavers?
Posted September 23, 2008
Angelina_Howard wrote...
Thank you for creating this lens. This is such a beautiful story. An ultimate example of love. I get goose bumps when I watch the clip. A definte Wow!!
Posted September 23, 2008
The_Homeopath wrote...
I have such mixed emotions about Christian's story. Of course, it warms my heart and I get all sappy-weepy whenever I watch it because it truly is so beautiful. The other part of me is saddened that he has gotten so much publicity. I'm afraid there may be dumb people in this world who take his story to mean that they too can raise a wild animal and then see it off living happily in the wild again when it's nearly impossible. The message from the story should be what a blessed miracle that he was able to survive after re-introduction in to the wild. Most exotic "pets" don't end up so lucky.
Posted September 22, 2008
moti ben-horin wrote
fantastic
moti ben horin-savyon-israel
Posted August 09, 2008
Tom Cooke wrote
It uplifts your heart to see that even a beast in the wild can have love in it's heart that can last a lifetime.
What a wonderful story.
Posted August 03, 2008
PatinKC wrote...
Thanks for this lens. I love this story. I'm touched every time I watch this video. And I loved the film "Born Free."
I'm lensrolling you to my National Friendship Day lens and I added the video there.
Posted July 28, 2008
by Louis_Dubois
Hello, my name is Lou.
I live in sunny sunny Sarasota,where I do most of my research and writing, with my dog Farfel by my side. My pet, Farfel is pa...
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