South Africa's 'lion whisperer' gets up close with big cats

DINOKENG GAME RESERVE, South Africa (AP) — The male lion brushes through the tall grass and strides into a clearing in a South African wildlife sanctuary.

Made for viral viewing on social media, the spectacle of Richardson lounging and cavorting with lions as though they were house pets might resemble a circus act in the African bush.

Richardson's website, which offers merchandise including T-shirts, key chains and calendars, says he seeks to promote wildlife preservation through "education, awareness and funding."

Luke Hunter, president of Panthera, a conservation group, commended Richardson for his passion and "authentic" concern for lions, saying: "His messaging, for what he has and what he can do, is good."

[...] Hunter emphasized the broader conservation needs of the lion, including efforts to protect habitats and address poaching, in which antelopes and other potential prey for lions end up in the bushmeat trade, and lions get trapped in snares laid down indiscriminately.