Annel Snyman with her latest handreared ‘baby’, Robyn the lion cub.[BARCROFT]Annel Snyman hand-rears lions along with other big cats such as cheetahs and leopards at her home in South Africa.
The latest addition to her menagerie is a fast-growing lion cub called Robyn, who despite his size still has to be bottle-fed and winded.
He might be considerably larger than the average house cat, but he still enjoys a tickle on the chin from his surrogate mother.
Annel, 32, looks after all her exotic animals at her guest house, Loebies Guest Farm and Predator Park, in Limpopo province.
Annel Snyman happily swims with her lions [BARCROFT]What I love about my big cats is they give you unconditional love; they’re so excited to see you and every cat has its own personality
These also include caracal and servals, both also from the cat kingdom, a family of meerkats – and Annel’s pet dog, Diesel.
She said: “What I love about my big cats is they give you unconditional love; they’re so excited to see you and every cat has its own personality.”
Despite her close bond with all her animals – the lions even enjoy being taken for a swim – Annel never lets her guard down for a moment. “A person can never feel 100 per cent safe around their cats because they have natural instincts they act on,” she added. “I personally believe my cats won’t attack me out of anger, but I have my fair share of scratches and bruises from interacting with them.”
It's not just lions, Annel cuddles her leopard too [BARCROFT]Annel, whose parents helped her to set up the holiday farm, admits the big cats she has raised during the past five years have become an essential part of her life.
“For me, working with these animals was therapy, and unknown to me at the time, the start of a whole new passion and path that my life was soon to take.
“This was quite a challenge, but the first wild animals I cared for were my children.
“While most people are amazed, this has become my life and part of who I am. There are times when it is difficult to do day-to-day things, but I do manage to live a normal life – well, it’s normal for me.”
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