By Katherine Chatfield
Pictures: David Hahn
The story of two Aussie blokes and their pet lion has captured the hearts of the world…
When John Rendall and Anthony “Ace” Bourke laid eyes on the huge lion bounding across the African plains towards them, they were far from scared. As the lion ran up to them, laid its huge paws on their shoulders and licked them, they knew he remembered them as friends — even though he’d been in the wild for a year.
“The joy of the greeting surprised us,” smiles Ace, recalling the 1971 reunion with Christian the lion. “But we were never in any doubt that Christian would remember us — we just didn’t know he’d be so pleased to see us again.”
Their memories of the scene were revived when an unknown person posted a video clip of it on YouTube.
“I got sent the clip by a friend,” says John. “He knew I used to have a pet lion and asked if I’d seen this video. I clicked on it, and saw it was me and Ace!”
It’s no wonder the clip has received more than 60 million hits so far — the story of John, Ace and Christian is incredible.
In 1970, the young Aussies travelled to London after finishing university. Amid the buzz of living on “swinging” Kings Road and working in antique shop Sophisticat, the friends found a lion cub for sale in upmarket department store Harrods. They bought him and took him back to Sophisticat, where he became their much-loved pet.
A Lion Called Christian by John and Ace, Bantam Press, rrp $35.
For the full story, see this week’s Woman’s Day (on sale April 13).
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