Apparently, back in 1969 you could walk into Harrods department store in London, buy yourself a lion cub and take him home. And that’s exactly what Aussie expats, Ace Bourke and John Rendall did. Little did they know that some 30 odd years later their story would be known world-wide and become a YouTube phenomena (mind you, you only have to be able to do the funky chicken dance naked or snort stringy cheese and you’re a YouTube phenomena).
The impetus for Ace and John buying the cub, who they named Christian, was the fact he was being kept in a tiny cage. So they bought him and took him home to their apartment.
Christian led a privileged, albeit not very lion-like life. He went to work with Ace and John at their furniture store, drove around with them on the back seat of a Bentley, went to restaurants and played with them in the park of a local church with the blessing (pardon the pun) of the church’s vicar. Evidently Christian was fond of soccer.
After 12 months, Christian had grown from 35 pounds to 185 pounds and Ace and John both knew he couldn’t stay with them any longer. They weren’t concerned he’d attack anyone, they were worried he’d hurt himself or cause damage from his sheer size and weight. They were put in touch with naturalist, George Adamson and were soon on a plane with Christian bound for Kenya, Africa.
It was very sad for them to leave him behind but they knew it was best for Christian. They kept in touch with George and made a few visits to Kenya to check on Christian’s progress from afar. In 1972, one year after leaving Christian in Kenya, Ace and John were reunited with their beloved lion. Here is the moving and now famous footage of the reunion as Christian recognises his human friends;
In 1974, Ace and John were once again reunited with Christian and once again, he remembered them. The next day, Christian went into the bush back to his pride. He was never seen again.
14 years later, Christian’s caretaker, George Adamson was tragically killed during local unrest and a trust to support the preservation of wildlife was started in his name. We’ve made a donation and if you’d like to do the same, you can here: Wildlife NOW.
Also, if you’d like to learn more about Christian’s story, you can through the book A Lion Called Christian: The True Story of the Remarkable Bond between Two Friends and a Lion 
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It’s great to read blogs like this which not only talk about what is an amazing story but also support the cause! The story of Ace, John and Christian is a fantastic one (I reccommend their book to anyone who is a fan) and whilst the messages of love and friendship are fairly obvious, what we need to focus on is Animal Conservation in the wild.
Ace and John have their own website (see above) which has updates and information about what it is that they are both doing now and the story of Christian.
Hey Katie,
Thanks so much for your comment. I totally agree with the fact that we need to focus on animal conservation. With that comes the need to focus on the conservation of their habitat too.
Thanks for the link to Ace and John’s website; A Lion Called Christian.
Hi Sami,
This video brings tears to my eyes every time I see it.
You know, I have mixed feelings when I bring my kids to the local zoo. On one hand, I love that my kids can see real animals, and I know that the zoo serves a purpose for animals that are hurt or who would never survive in the wild. But on the other hand, I am so sorry for these caged animals. No matter how you try to simulate the African savannah, it just isn’t the same. I’m saddest when I see the elephants.
I’ve seen this video so many times but every single time I cry when I watch it. For whatever reason, it really moves me to see that connection between humans and wild animals. It’s just amazing. Thanks for posting this. I haven’t see the video in awhile and I love watching it.
Thanks for the link to Wildlife NOW. I wasn’t familiar with the organization and appreciate your adding it to your post.
I’d heard of Christian before and was touched by the story. I still cry when I watch the video!
Hi Kirwin,
Yep, the video sure is a tear jerker.
I know what you mean re the zoo thing. I went swimming with dolphins (a dream of mine) at SeaWorld (a theme park) a couple of years ago. The experience was bitter sweet. The dolphins were absolutely amazing but I felt so sad because they weren’t free. I won’t go to circuses either because of the elephants. They always look so sad to me.
Hey Positively Present,
You’re welcome. I kept seeing stories on him and books and then I saw the clip. That’s when I thought, OK, I need to post about him. It really proves how strong the bond between humans and animals is.
Hi Laurie,
You’re welcome. Yeah, it doesn’t seem to matter how many times you watch the clip, it still has the same effect. Btw, not sure if you noticed in the comments but one of my readers (Katie) included the link to Ace and John’s site which I hadn’t come across. Here it is if you’re interested; A Lion Called Christian.
Wow, Sami, thanks for posting this! Am I the only one who hasn’t seen this video? It’s a touching story, and a beautiful reminder to include animal conservation in my attempts to lead a more green life.
Hi Ann Elise,
I’ve only seen it recently myself (and when I did, I thought, I have to post about this). It sure does highlight the need to conserve wildlife and their habitat.