Holy (bleep)! Can this be for real?

[PLC1]

Dances with Wolves had nothing on this guy. He dances with lions.

http://www.flixxy.com/lion-whisperer-kevin-richardson.htm

 

[TruthAboveAll]

You know, that is absolutely amazing! Nothing to be taken lightly, obviously. And while I am totally impressed with what this man has accomplished, I can't help but think him a bit daft at the same time. Roy Horn (Sigfried & Roy) found it out the hard way, after 30,000 performances with the same tiger...

Here's a toast to him, and here's my very best! Salute!

 

[Bunz]

Interesting footage to say the least. I can only hope this isnt an incident waiting to happen. All to often these sort of situations end up in bad circumstances for the human, and the animals involved. The story of Tim Treadwell comes to mind.

 

[PLC1]

Interesting footage to say the least. I can only hope this isnt an incident waiting to happen. All to often these sort of situations end up in bad circumstances for the human, and the animals involved. The story of Tim Treadwell comes to mind.

Oh, the guy who thought those big grizzlies wouldn't hurt him and his girlfriend?

Wild animals do tend to be unpredictable, don't they?

 

[TruthAboveAll]

Interesting footage to say the least. I can only hope this isnt an incident waiting to happen. All to often these sort of situations end up in bad circumstances for the human, and the animals involved. The story of Tim Treadwell comes to mind.

That's my fear. Walt Disney did us no favor in portraying animals as cute, cuddly, and harmless. I choose Disney as the instigator here, as he advanced the world of animation so profoundly. I'd be hard pressed to believe that he had a clue where it could lead, but his imagination has elevated wild animals to something that not only do we need to understand, but that we shouldn't fear and should always do all we can to protect.

Tim Treadwell is definitely another case in point. Steve Irwin is (sort of...) another. A freak accident, and he did typically respect the danger of the animals he worked with. But he did push the envelope, and was constantly in quest of the next "thrill" to tape.

In fact from a 2006 Daily Telegraph article:

Mr Stainton, an old friend who has worked with Irwin for years, added that the star had been looking for "things that can kill you in the sea".

"We were in the Cairns, Port Douglas area shooting a documentary for Animal Planet called Ocean's Deadliest, which was basically looking at things that can kill you in the sea," he said.

These guys love what they do. I'd never want to stop them from doing so. But in today's world with 24-7 video and all these news/TV networks looking for the unique, there is a heightened level of responsibility we need to express the inherent danger.

And I sincerely hope that Kevin Richardson doesn't have children he might leave behind in case one of his lion friends acts on an impulse to give more traditional meaning to having him for dinner...