My Life Among the Big Cats of Africa - Part of the Pride

Kevin Richardson has a life doing what he loves - taking care of big carnivores and their small cubs. His early life included lots of taking care of sick or abandoned animals, and two failed attempts to follow his older brother into veterinary school. Fortunately, Kevin ended up meeting a person who had just bought a nearby animal park.

Kevin explains why it is important to know the animals and their different personalities. He learned to related to them as a fellow lion - getting down on all fours, touching them, rubbing heads together, and using a toothbrush to 'lick' their faces after they licked his (painful). The bulk of "Part of the Pride" consists of his experiences providing unarmed (no sticks, guns, whips) enrichment for the lions and hyenas on the property, along with a number of often painful (sometimes to others) lessons learned. His explanations of the lions' actions is straightforward and sensible - per Kevin, they're not that different from humans, with sometimes temper tantrums.

The photos in "Part of the Pride" made up an especially enjoyable part of the book - ranging from showing him resting with, playing with and being 'attacked' by the lions and their cubs, carrying a hyena, and their enormous claws.

Kevin was told many 'rules' about working with lions - most of which he found to be false. His rules, assimilated from ten-some years experience are: 1)Don't wake a lion when it's sleeping. 2)Don't come near a lion when it is eating. 3)Don't surprise a lion - let it know you're coming. 4)Leave when they tell you they've had enough. One he left out - start out while they're young and treat them with respect, almost as peers.

An enjoyable book with and enviable story.

A remarkable, truly moving biography of a man who lives with lions and hyenas. It's a story about a man who does not want to tame the animals, he does not want to dominate them, but to be one of them. The book with the very accurate title, describes how he becomes a respected part of the pride, by acknowledging their rules and living by their social behaviour.

One of my favourite part of the book is, when he describes his visit to a lion farmer. These farms in South Africa breed lions for rich tourist to hunt easily for prestige and "joy". He describes his feelings of anger and sadness seeing this beautiful animals in cages, bred to die. But then he asks himself, what's the difference of a lion to a cow, bred to feed us, bred to die for us? An eye-opening question on how we perceive animals and how we accept animal cruelty on some animals and cry out loud for others.

There are many beautiful documentaries on Youtube that enriches the book.

Part of the Pride is a touching and empathetic look at the life of lions through the experiences of Kevin Richardson. With humor and charm, Richardson defies common convention by developing relationships with lions as well as with other wild, predatory animals. Richardson's compassion and understanding for his pride leaps from the pages with relatable stories entwined with his personal philosophy. I read with great interest his comparisons between his relationships with animals and people, designating respect as the key factor that makes relationships with both a success. Part of the Pride is an inspirational tale and definitely one that is hard to put down.

Part of the Pride is a must read particularly for someone that is fascinated by animal behavior and conservation. Kevin Richardson proves yet again that animals and humans can share a personal bond of friendship and trust that goes beyond what is ordinarily expected. Mr. Richardson's wonderful story outlines how he unexpectedly found himself working up close with lions, hyenas and other wild animals. His continued passion and devotion toward understanding and caring for animals has paid off with the everlasting trust and bond he is created with each and every one of his animal friends. All of his accounts underline the fact that animals, whether wild or domesticated, are a lot more intelligent than often credited and when respected and loved will show equal love and respect.