From baby Nayla to Queen Nayla
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Lilith — 1 year ago(June 20, 2024 02:48 AM)
Just to be clear, these lions, as well as all of the other animals that he rescued in the reserve including the hyenas, monkeys, zebras, and I think there are elephants but I'm not quite sure, are not "domesticated." They are all "rescued" - some are rescued as young cubs so yes, they are raised from babies and as such, they grew up with Dean and that's why they are all part of his family. Some of the other rescues are lions that have been abused and mistreated, abandoned, forfeited because people got them as "pets" when they are never meant to be "pets," – these are and always will be WILD animals. Some are rescued from zoos, and some have been tortured and kept in confined cages. Some are rescued from poachers and have been caught in traps.
Dean has taken many, many years and spent all of his time to take care raising these animals and getting them used to his presence, but always with respect for the fact that they are wild. He has the slashes and scars to show that they are never "domesticated." They live in harmony and mutual respect, and while the reserve is very large and provides a protected area so they will never been in danger again, they still are roaming free to live their lives as nature intended. The Pride of lions graciously welcomes Dean into their family with love and grace.
"Your emotional state is not my responsibility." – Warren Smith -
️ Christina 1986-05-20 
— 1 year ago(June 20, 2024 05:16 AM)So, the animals are not really pets from birth. Dean is wonderful! It is a great psychological feat. I wonder if he has a blog for his experiences or sub-blog. It would be neat around on something like MySpace.
½ S/N Asian (40%+ Chinese) ½ Norwegian/Danish-Irish Swiss (Amish/PA) German French Dutch? French+Dutch Celtic-Irish English-Irish?
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Lilith — 1 year ago(June 20, 2024 03:42 PM)
Yes, he does! He documents all of his interactions with all of his animals. You can find him on YouTube, and if you look in his contact information, you'll find areas where you can find out where you can follow him, see the work that he's doing on the sanctuaries, he breaks down what things cost to pay for staff. He brings them to the vets and documents some of those visits as well. You'll see some videos of when the cubs are first rescued, and you'll be able to watch them grow across the years into the big 400–500-pound lions you see now.
The monkeys are beautiful and they have a great big dome to play in and run around. The hyenas are also gorgeous animals, and he plays and rough houses with them as well.
He never tries to "domesticate" them, and he interacts with them as if he were one of them. You can tell this because of all the scars he's got all over his body as he was gaining their trust. It was beautiful watching the cubs grow up. I've watched his reserve grow. He's the only one who can really interact with them this way. The camera man can record and get pretty close, but he cannot do what Dean does!
"Your emotional state is not my responsibility." – Warren Smith -
️ Christina 1986-05-20 — 1 year ago(June 20, 2024 04:02 PM)
He's a great animal man!
It must be a rewarding experience. I hope he enjoys it.
½ S/N Asian (40%+ Chinese) ½ Norwegian/Danish-Irish Swiss (Amish/PA) German French Dutch? French+Dutch Celtic-Irish English-Irish?..? -
Lilith — 1 year ago(June 20, 2024 04:08 PM)
I agree! It must be wonderful to interact with these majestic beasts. Watching them jump up on him while they're big adult cats, the same way they jumped up on him the way they did when they were small cubs, goes to show…they don't quite realize they're great big boys and girls now and dad is still a soft and fragile body!
He must be incredibly strong, too. He posted some of his wedding photos last year and his bride is so beautiful. He met her while in Africa while he was doing his work, and they work hard together to help keep this sanctuary thriving.
"Your emotional state is not my responsibility." – Warren Smith -
Lilith — 1 year ago(June 20, 2024 10:42 PM)
A boy's toys?
What about Africa are you interested in? Any particular countries? I'm fascinated by the wildlife. You can find some of the most beautiful animals!
"Your emotional state is not my responsibility." – Warren Smith -
The Kraken — 1 year ago(June 20, 2024 11:03 PM)
Oh but don't forget this part!! Lol
I agree! It must be wonderful to interact with these majestic beasts. Watching them jump up on him while they're big adult cats, the same way they jumped up on him the way they did when they were small cubs, goes to show…they don't quite realize they're great big boys and girls now and dad is still a soft and fragile body!
He must be incredibly strong, too. He posted some of his wedding photos last year and his bride is so beautiful. He met her while in Africa while he was doing his work, and they work hard together to help keep this sanctuary thriving.