Extract from A Lion Called Christian by Anthony Bourke and John Rendall

Original full-length version published by Bantam, an imprint of Transworld Publishers, London
Abridged version © copyright Reader’s Digest (Australia) Pty Ltd 2010


Consistent with their standards, Harrods had sold us a lion of quality. He was very healthy and had a beautiful nature. He was even-tempered, and not easily alarmed or frightened. These qualities were reinforced by his trust in us and his strong feeling of security. The fact that his behaviour was in general quite predictable and consistent made living with him much easier than it could have been. We navigated our way very carefully with him, getting to know him and learning about him quickly. We rarely misjudged his intentions, and learnt to anticipate any situations that could have unpredictable outcomes.

It was easy to recognise a psychological pattern of behaviour in him which could be interpreted in human terms. While we accept this is anthropomorphic, to us aspects of his personality did resemble a human’s. His ‘sense of humour’ seemed very similar to ours. If he tripped over something, and with his huge paws he tended to be rather clumsy, he appeared ‘embarrassed’ but would quickly pretend, as most people do, that nothing had happened. We were realising that the two most powerful predators in the world have much in common.

Christian’s personality was immense, and his presence entirely filled the shop and our lives. We realised that if the months he was to live with us were to be as happy for him as we intended, he had to be allowed as much natural expression as possible. For him to remain the contented, even-tempered animal he was, it was necessary, in addition to giving him all the time and affection we had, to minimise any restriction.

We attained a relationship of mutual respect, with no hint of domestic-animal subservience, for he had, like all cats, assumed superiority over us from the beginning. We made no attempt to dominate or train him. It is doubtful if a lion can ever be totally dominated; perhaps precarious control is the most that can be achieved. Christian had a determined character, but he seemed to realise that he had to cooperate, and he quickly knew what sort of behaviour would not be allowed. Neither of us had had any contact with circus animals or animals used in live entertainment, but one can only guess at the psychological games, bribes, rewards and punishments involved in getting animals to perform.

Christian hated being ignored, and was very conscious of the effect he had on humans. If customers had not noticed him sitting on the stairs in the shop, he would grunt to attract their attention. From this commanding position, his paws knocked off several hats and pairs of glasses. He was extremely curious, and his eyes were always watching and searching for anything new that ought to be investigated.

It was his eyes that were his most arresting feature. They were expressive, intelligent eyes that could transmit love and trust, or challenge or defy us. Sometimes they had incredible clarity and brightness but sometimes they could be opaque, unknowable and impenetrable, and stare straight through us to a dimension beyond, from which we were excluded.

Christian possessed a memory for people and places, and demonstrated a high degree of intelligence. We kept his food for the day on the top of various cupboards in the office at the back of the shop, and he frequently managed the complicated business of climbing high enough on other furniture to be able to stand up on his hind legs and knock his food to the floor. He also quickly learnt how to open the door of the basement if it was not locked.

Unlike most members of the cat family, lions are gregarious animals living in an extended family pride. Christian undoubtedly regarded us as his family, and was tremendously affectionate towards us. Lions greet each other with a ceremonial touching of heads, and we often knelt to enable him to do this with us. Any parting from him, regardless of its duration, involved another fond greeting, a lick and a cuddle. He enjoyed being close, often either leaning against us, or actually sitting on us. Sometimes he would dramatically leap from the ground into our arms, which was a greeting for us that no one had ever seen before in lions. Of course he could be arrogant and demanding, but if he had to be disciplined, either verbally or with a smack, he accepted it, and did not bear any resentment. He was very much aware when we were displeased with him, and if he felt it was deserved he would make obvious attempts to win us over again.