Can a Lion Ever Be Tamed? Why a Bottle-Fed Cub Stays Wild

Lion resting in long grass — A lion at rest. A hand-raised lion is habituated, never domesticated. Photo: Giles Laurent — CC BY-SA 4.0

In 1969 a lion cub was bought in a London department store, raised like a pet and later released in Kenya. The film of his reunion is famous. What it proves about taming is not what most people think.

Lioness walking with cubs — Even hand-reared cubs revert to wild behaviour as they mature. Photo: Giles Laurent — CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photography credits: Giles Laurent (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons