After Kurt’s tiger encounter, we took a game drive around the property. The Farm Inn does a lot of lion breeding as well as retirement, so there were a variety of young and old cats on the tour.
This young white lion is not an albino. Our game tour guide explained that like hair color or eye color in humans, white fur is simply a recessive gene. I, for one, didn’t know this, and assumed most white animals are albinos.
Among the animals on the grounds are some retired circus lions, one of which is this seemingly aggressive female in the following videos. The guide explained that in the circus she was trained to growl and charge on command to elicit big reactions from the crowd. He told us that she grew accustomed to getting the reaction from people so that even when she retired, as soon as enough people are gathered around her enclosure she repeats her performance to make the crowd react.
I reacted by pooping my pants.
As usual, I forgot to hit the record button until it was almost over, so you only have a snippet of one of her outbursts.
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I also included a video of three of the lions we saw, so you can see just how large their enclosures are, that they choose to come interact with visitors, and just how close visitors are to these cats during the tour.
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Will share the rest of the photos of Farm Inn tomorrow.
In the meantime, enjoy these little videos of the former circus lion “entertaining” her audience…
Love, Marla
I was still waiting for the feature to start after the roar…I even had “Dark Side of the Moon” all ready to sync up!!
Google glasses!! Thats what you need!
Love you
Google Glasses! Of course! Oh I so need to fundraise for that…
Your explanation of the blond lion made me research albinism to refresh my understanding, because it also is a recessive trait though due to the increased mortality as a result it has not flourished among the population. I assume that this coloration isnt a lack of melanin -producing enzymes, but rather a lesser number (as in blue eyes in those of us who have less melanin overall?)
I love all I am learning from your posts!
However, as a critical older sister I have to chastise you for living in the moment far too much and encourage you to think like a reporter and get that camera up to reford the experiences more fully! LOL I think a good present for you would be one of those helmet cams that action sports people wear so all of these moments are captured automatically through your amazingly perfectly timed strike -chance experiences!
Yeah, it was very interesting. Ha. A helmet cam is a brilliant idea. Maybe I should set up a little fundraising thing on the site to try and get a really good one with good video/audio quality.
I do have a higher ratio of abnormal encounters I think. Kurt thinks I bring it out in people (and apparently animals?) I think it’s just in the way I react or observe.
I dunno.
If I get one, we can call it my dunce cap.
Wouldnt that be dork cap? Lol…jonthat doesnt sound right…
I do think, though, that your tendency to hang back and observe quietly allows for more adventure in the end.
It’s funny how she sits while she growls, as if she were perched on on one of those circus stools.
I read your comment to Kurt and he said he had noticed it, too. That’s a good observation, Jody. It was funny watching her get the reaction and then just go back to normal, only to build up to it again. I have more video but so many people are talking and the tour guide is talking and it detracts from it.
that was a cute pic of you too, btw – looks like you’re getting a little sun