
The Story of Little Lion
Natural history series exploring the bonds between humans and animals. This episode follows the story of a South African couple who adopt and rear an abandoned lion cub, but aim to re-release it.
Gillian Van Houten and her wildlife filmmaker partner John Varty, adopt an abandoned Lion cub found in the Londolozi bush, South Africa. The mischievous and playful orphan Shingalana or 'Little Lion,' proves hard work for the inexperienced foster parents. The couple attempt to rear and rehabilitate the growing cub, so that it will be able to survive in the wild. They employ a range of techniques to prepare the cub for its eventual release; testing the cub's reaction to predators and then building on its natural instinctive behaviour. The subsequent relocation and release of Shingalana into the South Luangwa, Zambia, goes terribly wrong; resulting in the unfortunate death of the Lion, due to a fatal attack by a resident Lion pride.
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Broadcast
- Wed 10 Sep 1997 19:00