Animal lover shares a hug with enormous lion friend

Animal lover and teacher Jonathan Hawkins appears to be some sort of lion whisperer. While visiting his rather large feline friend in Botswana, he opens to the fenced pen to have the apex predator pounce on him... and give him a hug.

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The lioness, nearly the same height as Hawkins, manages to leap up on its hind legs and give Hawkins a passionate hug before snuggling into him. She even tries to jump in his arms, hoping to be cradled like a baby. Soon enough, the weight of the lioness brings Hawkins to his knees, where the lion is relentless in cuddling and rubbing all over him. Despite being a ferocious beast, the relationship seen here resembles that of a puppy excited to see her owner come home.

Hawkins lives in Seoul, South Korea, however he recorded this unique footage while visiting Botswana. He has a close bond with some of the lions there, this one in particular.

Later, using her as a hound, Hawkins takes the same lioness out to hunt for wildebeests. Watch below.

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Would you hug a lion? Let us know in the comments below.