We all have heard about the deep bond between pets and their owners, but did you know that wild animals can also form attachments with humans in a profoundly intense way? If you didn’t, you are about to find out.
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This is the story of a simple man named Adolfo who did everything he could to save a lion cub. He never expected anything in return, but his excellent care and love left a lasting impact on the loin. Their bond drove this loin to thank Adolfo in a way nobody thought was possible.
Top Of The Food Chain
While it isn’t unheard of for wild animals to develop a relationship with humans taking care of them, it is highly uncommon for predators such as lions to do so. Usually, lions are incredibly private and find it hard to trust humans regardless of whether they are helping them.
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Part of the reason behind this is that Lions are known as the Kings of the jungle all over the world. They walk around, parading their muscular physique and commanding respect. With a Lion, one never knows if they will treat you as their dinner, friend, or foe.
Animal Rescue
The young man had been invested in taking care of animals ever since he was young and had decided to dedicate his life to rehabilitating wild animals. When Adolfo met the young lion cub that was destined to change his life, he was still a novice.
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Adolfo found the lone cub in Mexico and, despite not having any experience with predators, decided to take the cub under his wing swiftly. He spent the next few weeks learning all he needed to ensure that the cub got the care and love it required.
Lost Loin
During his research, Adolfo found that the best chance for this cub to survive was not through human intervention but to reunite it with its mother. So, while taking care of the cub, Adolfo set out on a mission to track down the pride.
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But despite his hopeful outlook, Adolfo couldn’t find any tracks of this cub’s pride. He worried that hunters might have gotten to them. His only theory was that this cub was left behind was she probably hid to save her life.
Bonding Together
With no hope of reuniting the cub with its family, Adolfo came to terms with the fact that he was responsible for raising the cub now. And rather than shirk away from this responsibility, he welcomed it with open arms.
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Every passing day, Adolfo and the cub got closer, and soon enough, it was as if the cub thought of Adolfo as his father rather than an outsider. This feeling was mutual, with the caretaker loving and protecting the cub as if it was his child.
Picking A Name
Now with their bond fully developed, Adolfo wanted to pick a name for his cub that reflected her personality. He brainstormed hundreds of words, but it was his favorite film as a child which gave him the inspiration behind the name.
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He named the cub Kiara in honor of the character in the Lion King. In the film, Kiara is a princess who is curious about life and wants to be a pioneer. And that is exactly how Adolfo saw his cub.
The Meaning Of Her Name
The name held a special place in Adolfo’s heart because of his attachment to the film Lion King and because once he researched the meaning behind the name, it felt like the perfect pick for his lion cub.
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Kiara has a wide range of meanings in different languages, and Adolfo loved all of them. His favorites were, in Italian, Kiara means ‘bright’ while in Hindi, it translates to ‘God’s precious gift,’ and in Korean, it means ‘first ray of sun.’
Her Story Begins
And with her name picked, the lion cub who was left without a family of her own seemed to settle even more with Adolfo and her new lifestyle. She blossomed into her own and began to develop her own personality.
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Funnily enough, Adolfo noticed that the real-life Kiara and the fictional cartoon version shared many similarities, from curiosity to playfulness. While Adolfo cared for other animals as well, the growing lion cub felt like family to him above all.
Growing Together
The years seemed to slip away, and soon Kiara went from a young cub to a strong and agile lioness. Adolfo watched, comforted, played with, took care of, fed, and much more through the years.
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He was, for all intents and purposes, Kiara’s adoptive father. Everyone in the small facility where Kiara lived, and Adolfo worked saw the bond the two shared and knew it was something special.
The Big Question
But as Kiara grew up, it was also becoming evident that the facility that housed her could not keep up with a grown-up lioness. While Adolfo and many other caretakers were comfortable around Kiara, she was still a predator.
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Kiara could never or should never be treated like a domesticated pet, and even Adolfo knew that. The young lioness needed more room and interaction with her kind to fully mature and live a healthy and happy life.
A Tough Decision
While Adolfo would have liked nothing more than to have Kiara stay close to him in the facility he worked at, he knew that the lioness shouldn’t stay there. And after months of deliberation, he made the heartbreaking decision to send her away.
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Kiara needed a more extensive facility, and Adolfo found one, a wild animal sanctuary. The Black Jaguar-White Tiger Foundation had acres upon acres of space and focused on the rehabilitation of animals. Adolfo went and thoroughly researched the facility and came to the conclusion that it was the best place for Kiara.
Worried About Their Bond
At that point, Adolfo had seen Kiara every day since the day they first met but now, with this move to a bigger facility, it was inevitable that they wouldn’t be able to continue this. And while Adolfo would never forget Kiara, he wasn’t sure she would remember him.
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He even researched other lion and human relationships to find out if there was a possibility that the two would be able to maintain their bond through the distance but found nothing related to the topic.
A New Home
Just as Adolfo worried that he would lose Kiara forever, he was also sure that this was the right step for her. As a result, the Black Jaguar-White Tiger Foundation was founded by Eduardo Serio in 2013.
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Serio started the foundation when he rescued Cielo, a jaguar cub, displayed in a pet shop window in Monterrey as an attraction. The objective of the NPO was to rescue as many wild cats as possible while ensuring they lived a life free from illegal hunting and endangerment. Kiara’s new home would allow her to interact with other lions and hopefully live as nature intended in a safe space.
Saying Goodbye
With a final cuddle and tears in his eyes, Adolfo finally bid farewell to his adoptive daughter. His heart was breaking, and he saw that the lioness sensed something was off. But she seemed more confused than anything.
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And despite his emotional attachment, Adolfo knew this was the right thing to do. And as he watched Kiara being loaded away to her new home, he was certain that this was the end of their relationship.
New Routine
To help the young lioness fit into her new routine, Adolfo decided not to visit her immediately. Kiara needed to be independent to survive and thrive. So, Adolfo buried his own feelings and tried to forget about their powerful bond.
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And soon, the days turned into weeks, and it had been months since Adolfo had last seen the lioness. But, of course, the concerned father always kept tabs on her health and was ecstatic to hear that Kiara had blended in well at her new home.
Trying To Reunite
A year had passed, and Adolfo had waited as long as he could. He needed to see Kiara dearly. But while the father remembered every single thing about the lioness, he worried that Kiara might have forgotten him.
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And many people agreed with him. Even those who had grown close to Kiara in her old and new home told Adolfo that he shouldn’t hold any hope and it was very likely that the lioness does not miss or even remember him.
Anxious
But something in Adolfo’s heart didn’t listen to anyone. He felt that the young lioness needed him, and while many thought that he was being selfish, the young man went ahead and scheduled his first meeting with Kiara.
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The workers at her new home warned Adolfo that the lioness he knew had grown into a robust and deadly predator. She was not a young cub that could be manhandled, and if Adolfo wanted to meet her, he needed to be prepared for that.
The Day Arrives
This was a standard warning when interacting with lions, but Adolfo was confident it wasn’t needed. He picked the closest slot to see Kiara and anxiously waited for the day. However, he didn’t know how to prepare for their meeting.
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Should he bring Kiara’s favorite childhood treats? Should he take a toy with him? Instead, he felt excited and scared. Adolfo was lost in his thoughts, and before he knew it, the day arrived when he could finally see his adoptive daughter.
His Voice
As Adolfo walked towards Kiara’s closure, he was softly talking to the facility workers, explaining how he trusted the young lioness and their bond. And he was right. Kiara perked up when she heard Adolfo’s voice and began to walk back and forth excitedly.
It is evident that she remembered him! But since the workers at the facility had never seen her like this, they began to panic. They worried that Kiara could not be trusted in this state, but Adolfo disagreed. This was all the proof he needed to know that his daughter would never hurt him.
Reunion
and as the workers opened the locked door, Kiara jumped on Adolfo! At first, everyone thought they were witnessing a massacre, but in reality, the young lioness lovingly licked her father’s face and hugged him!
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Adolfo couldn’t contain his excitement! and clearly, neither could Kiara! So the two were finally reunited and happier than ever! The duo also proved that lions remember humans’ impact on them for years and can form long-lasting bonds with them. After their reunion, Adolfo vowed to visit Kiara weekly for the rest of his life.