Thursday, March 26, 2009

(Avanzado 1 & 2) This lion can't be a pet peeve

What are my pet peeves? A pet peeve is an idiom that means a cause of annoyance, like, for instance, the English teacher's pet peeve is not having any entries when he posts something and students can't be bothered to answer. It's not that I'm going to tell you off, anyway. By the way, to learn a few animal idioms go to this page and try and match the missing words with the pictures of animals. And anyone who is the teacher's pet? Just kidding...
Since we're dealing with animals and pets (or we're about to, for students in Avanzado 1, that's next week's topic), I just wanted to share a story with you.
This is two friends who along with their girlfriends cared for the lion where they lived in London until it was a year old. Believe it or not they had bought it at Harrod's! Christian's increasing size and cost of care led them to understand they could not keep him anymore. Eventually they asked some conservationists for help, who agreed to reintegrate Christian into the wild in the Kora National Reserve, in Kenya. Christian would even become afterwards the head of his pride.
When friends Rendall and Bourke were informed of Christian's successful reintroduction to the wild they travelled to Kenya to visit Christian and were filmed in the documentary Christian, The Lion at World's End. According to the documentary, they were told that Christian might not remember them.
A video edited from the documentary received worldwide attention more than 30 years after the event, and several versions have been viewed thousands of times. Basically they're all the same but for the music in the background. I'm not a member of RSCPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), but to avoid further damage I deliberately avoided the video with corny Withney Houston's "I will always love you"!!!. Aerosmith is the poor second best...The video below shows the lion at first cautiously approach and then quickly leap gently onto the two men, standing on his hind legs and wrapping his front legs around their shoulders, nuzzling their faces. What did you expect? Some gory footage?
It seems that for some reason I just don't understand some people are experiencing problems to watch the enclosed video. It that's so, just click on this link and enjoy it.



Isn't it emotional? It is indeed... Sorry about that final sentence in the video, though, which spoils the whole a bit.
See you!

18 comments:

Cristina said...

I'm sorry guys, but I can't believe it. It's such emocionally story that is too much.
A lion always has that animal and wild instinct.
I can think about those boys who keep the lion. Actually, when lions are young they can behave such any small cat, but after months living among other lions, I think their instinct can change. For instance, what do you say me about a lion tamer?.He can keep some lions together, but he should take care, because their wild instinct can risk his life.

About the final sentences in the video, Ok Charles, no comment :)).


Bye!!

Cristina, 1st Advanced , N Group.

Oscar said...

Sorry carlos, althought it's a interesting video, I agree with the cristina's script. You are pulling our legs. What did you say?. How could be possible buying a lion at harrod's?. The last time that I went to a department store I didn't see any will carnivorous pet. Besides, I think that it is not allowed.
Anyway, I think the video is a bit sickly sweet. I hope, as you said, to see a feast, with blood and entrails.

Bye guys

Oscar, 1st advanced, N group

Carlos said...

I don't think you're so gullible but this time you just have to believe me. It is absolutely true. You can look it up and everything was extensively documented. And, believe it or not, about 40 years ago it seems that you could actually buy a lion cub in Harrods, not now obviously.
I swear it's all true. And it's not sickly sweet, you insensitive macho man! ;-)

Inés said...

I already saw this video, which it's a lucky because my PC can't
buffer this one...Anyway, I saw it and it really touched me, a fact that don't surprised me so much having into account my love of animals. I'm agree with my classmates in the fact that it's quite impossible not to notice that you are buying a lion but...overall I really think it's a beautiful story and I never get tired to see it.

Lol!
See you!

Inés, 1st Advanced N

Javi said...

Hi classmates, I think it's a good and of course emotive video. Sure that 40 years ago you could buy everything everywhere (maybe they bought the lion in a Harrod's car boot sale), therefore I believe the whole story is absolutely truth, but I can not imagine how much money did they pay for the lion. When I was 20, I went out with a girl who lived in Orvina suburb and I will never forget (the girl yes) that there was a vet who owned a big tiger and he used to walk around the streets with the tiger, like if you walk the dog but with a tiger...Could you imagine the same situation nowadays in our city??
Carlos, it's a well-chosen song, I'm fond of Aerosmith.
Please, do not think that I'm sucking up to Carlos.

Bye mates

Javi, 1st Advanced, N

koldo said...

This video demostrate animals are more reliable than human. If you behave well with an animal this will not forget it, quite the opposite than our.We are capable to bite the hand whom help us. The animal instinct (even being wild) goes against this fact.

koldo 1N

Miren said...

I think it's a good and emotive video too. I´m sure that forty years ago you could buy everything everywhere and listen, nowadays maybe not a lion, but you know people like having a lot of kind of pets in their homes, like snakes, tarantulas, exotic animals and, why not a lion?
Anyway, I believe the story is absolutely truth, I know a similar history with a tiger too, but not here, it happened in a foreign country.

Miren, 1st Advanced, L group.

Anonymous said...

im not surprised at all about this video, i dont know why we look down animals in that sense , i would have been surprised if the lion would be a man, a person, sure he had been now arguing with them..why did you left me alone in one foreign country motherfucker? if i had known this before......animal are very loyal except us, if there are someone egoist in the world are man, we all know that the man tend always to look only for their convenience.., not animals, animals are more loyal than most people, humans rarely know what it is to unconditionally love someone, and mans really know that means the word betray, sure you all know what im saying....., isn it? .... javier corera 1st advance group L

Anonymous said...

Impossible it`s nothing.Now a days I belive all kind of things. It´s a very emotional story, I agree with you.I don´t know if you remember kurrupipi, jesulìn´s pet, it´s the spanish version of the history...To be honest It´s an unusual story but it makes think about animal´s "feelings" and what we know about their behaviour and their relation with human people. I absolutelly sure animals need afect as a person. They sometimes give you more than anybody. Why not a lion?
encarna

Anonymous said...

Oh... a nice video. In fact I suppose all of us think the same: animals are more loyal than people. It seems incredible that after so much time the lion can remember them (it has reminded me when my brother´s dog see me after having passed some days: I have his legs in my shoulders and his nose around my face... ha ha).
Eukene-1.M

Anonymous said...

For me it´s a very beautiful story and, of course I believe it.
Some time ago I heard about a method called "imprinting". It consist in separate the puppy from the mother when it was born and to feed the animal.
Then the animal recognaise the person like its mother or its sister.
This method is using in all the species but it is more comun to use in births or reptiles. In wild species like lions, the person run more risk.
But, as we can see in the video, it can work too, and it´s amazing and wonderful!.
See you in class.
Maite Subiza (1st Advanced)

Anonymous said...

Hi everybody!
It´s an amazing story, but I´m not surprised at all about it. In fact I know a similar case, that I watched in the TV some months ago. I think that it happened in Colombia and the protagonists were a woman, and a lion too.
The woman found a lion cub (probably it scaped from a circus), and after realizing that it was injured, she decided to take it to her house and look after it. The lion lived with the woman and her familiy some years. When the lion started becoming bigger, the woman took a hard decision: she took the lion to a zoo in Cali (Colombia).
Some years later the woman went to the zoo, and when the lion saw her across the cage, its reaction was the same as the lion in the video: it started to hug her.
Incredible but true; something that shows the loyalty of the animals.
Bye,

Mikel, 1st advanced, M group.

Anonymous said...

Palma Tocón, 1st. Advanced, group M.

I think it's an emotional and a very close story. I'm not surprised at this story, because animals are fascinating species and, from my point of wiew because my experience with animals, I think animal’s heart is much better than "human specie". Situations like this might be possible. Now and then, I heard in mass media something about animals affection: F.e. a dog waiting for his owner in front door of a hospital because his owner were there or got in there last time it saw him.

marmot said...

It´s so cute! I really believe this. I agree with some of you. I think that generally speaking animals are much better than humans, more faithful, more noble and they haven´t got any prejudiced. They give everything without expecting anything in return.

See you!!

Anonymous said...

I didn't have free time so i haven't gone into the blog in donkey's days. i'm taking the bull by the horns and it's a awesome experience. ted's page is a must. places to see before you die, it's interesting.
On the other hand, what's the matter with my classmates? do you believe, in general, that animals are more faithful than people? I don't resign myself to believe it. anyway, I think people are a bit complex but wonerful.
the video is really emotional and the final sentence...

gloria imaz 1st m

aurora said...

March , 26, 2009 - This lion can´t be a pet peeve

I know another couple of videos about this... and it surprised me a lot when I received them.
1- Lion huges and kisses a woman (from colombian TV News),
2- Leon amoroso/ lions love/ lion amoreux . You can find it at You Tube, too with this titles. Please don´t pay attention to sound and video - editing in some of the copies I saw, both of them are awfull!
It is very nice, and sometimes it is surprising to know about such a different communication ways we are able to practice… as humans …or animals … or both of them. It is amazing!

First of all I´ll give you my opinion and then some other information I´ve founded these free days at You tube … just for fun!
As living beings we feel affection and emotion:
Affection :A common term that means the diverse forms of help or social collaboration that the human beings exchange to achieve our survival… is something that can be given to others, we give or receive affection, we can provide and receive it
… is something that can be accumulated, that can be stored, we store a high capacity of affection
. it is something that flows and moves from one person/animal to another producing some emotion.
Affection requires some effort, and it is intimately related to emotions
Affection is something essential in the humans
Human species needs in great measure affection, contrary to other species as cats?, or snakes?
Giving affection means to provide a non remunerated work that benefits somebody else

Periods of maximum interest for affective demand: childhood and illness

You are social being? Are you?, You need cooperation -…then you need affection Social species need collaboration of other members to survive. Bears are social only in their first few years of life, after mother abandone they live in solitude.
Lions are highly social specie they cannot survive without collaboration and help of other individuals of their species
Mammals and human beings are the most social species
Help and cooperation is a requirement in all social species, needing the others to survive.
Social species have very different degrees of needs to survive.

It is said that mosquitoes, crabs or blackberries are asocial species they don’t need others to obtain resources
Affection means social help
And
• AFFECTION IS A NECESSITY OF ALL SOCIAL SPECIES
• HUMAN BEINGS NEED AFFECTION FOR THEIR WELL BEING

• WE EXPERIENCE A POSITIVE EMOTION WHEN WE RECEIVE/GIVE AFFECTION
• THE NEED OF AFFECTION VARIES AMONG INDIVIDUALS / SPECIES
• THE MOST SOCIALLY DEPENDENT INDIVIDUALS/ SPECIES SUCH AS CHILDREN, OLD PEOPLE, SICK PEOPLE ETC ARE GROUPS THAT NEED MORE AFFECTION TO SURVIVE
Emitting affective signs doesn´t assure a future transmission of affection
Affective signs: smiles – greetings – promises
Affective signs are also a way of stimulating the reciprocity in the effective exchange, since the receiver experiences an obligation to compensate the transmitter for the potential affection received

I foundeed this:
The science of empathy & sociology of affective neuroscience…
and this:...

Affective consciousness: Core emotional feelings
in animals and humans

I had a look of this (from You tube):
1. bizarre animals
2. amazing fish
3. cool and weird dog photos
4. legendary or rare animals
5. weird animals 1,2,3,
6. weird mutated animals
7. two face cat
8. hell animals
9. 25 weirdest animals
10. unbelievable mutated and deformed animals
11. 12 weird animals
12. Mysterious animals
13. strange animals inhabit ohio countryside
14. top 10 weird animals
15. weird /strange animals
16. strange animals

see you!
Aurora Suárez 1st adv L group

Anonymous said...

About animals I couldn´t copy this but mates have a look of it please!
COW AND CHICKEN BY DAVE FEISS
AURORA

Anonymous said...

oooohhhh!!! It´s so cute! It´s really affectionate, it´s incredible how the lion can remember them after long time. That remember me when my dogs give me a warm welcome, they nuzzled against me and they follow me for home . It makes me feel lovely.

Laura Wins,1st advanced M group