A man who considers a lion his “daughter” has revealed that despite her being able to kill him at any moment, he doesn’t feel scared – and they even share prey.
Valentin Gruener doesn’t feel an ounce of fear when out in the bush surrounded by wild animals.
Instead, he joins predators as they rip apart their prey for a tasty feast –specifically with his furry best friend, Sirga.
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The 13-year-old lioness and the 36-year-old have an unbreakable bond like no other, which he compares to being like father and daughter.
In a clip, which has racked up 616,000 views and over 36,000 likes, he shares the ultra-trustworthy moment they tuck into a dead animal together.
“Sharing a kill is the result of over a decade of trust-building,” the ranger at Modisa Wildlife Project told Need To Know.
“This didn’t happen by chance.
“Sirga grew up without siblings, so she’s never had to compete for food.
“She knows I’m not here to take her kill, and she has no reason to be aggressive with me.
“I don’t fear for my safety with her.
“I respect her size and strength, and I know how to handle myself so neither of us gets hurt.
“I’ve learned to read her moods and body language.
“Living here, surrounded by wild lions, leopards and snakes, I don’t feel fear.
“This is my home.”
In the video, Sirga is seen chomping down on the carcass of an Oryx antelope.
Valentin uses a knife to cut a fillet, which he hangs on the branches of a thorn bush, ready to eat later.
He slices a chunk and feeds it directly to Sirga from his hand, with no other precautions or anybody else around.
After cooking up the fresh catch, Valentin tries to give Sirga another taste, but she rejects it – with a smile – as the pair appear to laugh together.
She nuzzles into him as the sun sets in the background.
He said, “A moment I’ll never forget.
“Sharing a kill with her is an incredible feeling.
“Out there, with nothing but the sound of nature around us, it evokes something deeply primal – a connection you can’t really put into words.”
The video is just a small snippet of a clip shared on their Patreon, where they offer longer versions of their journey together.
(Jam Press/@valgruener/@sigrathelioness/Modisa Wildlife Project)
Users have flocked to the comments to share their reactions.
Melissa said: “Sirga’s like, bro, you ruined a perfectly good piece of meat, but I love you anyway.”
“This is what being rich in life looks like,” Jose added.
Latoya commented: “They share food??? This is straight out of a movie.”
But it’s taken a lot to get to this stage – and while he’s never found himself in a life-or-death situation with Sirga, he’s urging people not to try befriending a lion without proper training.
Valentin, who lives in Botswana, said: “My ability to join her hunts comes from years of mutual trust.
“We move slowly through the bush, reading the wind and creeping closer to prey.
“Most hunts fail — it’s much harder for a single lioness than a pride – but my role is minimal.
“And I want to be clear: no one should try this.
“It’s not something you can replicate without the history we have.”
Valentin grew up in southern Germany surrounded by animals and spent his days tending to those on the farm.
But he never imagined he’d one day be raising a lion all by himself.
He rescued her in 2012 after she was abandoned by her mum, and was on the cusp of death.
Today, he lives without a hot shower, in an old caravan, in the wild, to keep her healthy and happy.
Valentin added, “I’ve made a lot of sacrifices.
“But I also have a fantastic team of ten people from the nearby village, who, without them, this wouldn’t be possible.
“People told me that once she made a kill, our bond would end – but she brought it to me – and that moment showed me how deep her trust runs.
“She could kill me in an instant, but she chooses not to.
“This life is full of sacrifices — no comforts, constant responsibility and an unpredictable environment.
“But it’s also full of meaning.
“Sirga is not a pet.
“She’s a lioness with wild instincts who happens to trust me – and that is the rarest thing I know.”
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