The Man who Reared a Lion Cub by Hand

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How does it feel to have a fully-grown lion bound up to you - and throw its front paws round your neck? Valentin Gruener knows. Originally from Germany, he now runs a wildlife park in Botswana. Three years ago he rescued an abandoned lion cub. He called her Sirga, and he raised her by hand. Now she's grown up, Valentin and Sirga have become inseparable. Valentin told Matthew Bannister how he came across the lion cub. Picture: Valentin Gruener with Sirga the lion Picture credit: Tauana Films