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  • 54 minutes ago
Kevin Richardson faces a stubborn but touching challenge as Meg and Icarus refuse to leave the camp beside the walking area, blocking the next round of animal movement at the sanctuary. What looks like simple resistance turns out to be something more delicate: Meg may be feeling insecure about weakness in her hindquarters, and loading her into the vehicle is no longer as easy as it once was.

With Icarus temporarily moved aside, the team tries patience, reassurance, and a few different ideas to help Meg load safely. She is affectionate, gentle, and full of personality, but the usual approach does not work, and the sanctuary crew begins thinking about a longer, more gradual solution, including a possible soil mound to make the transition easier for an aging lion. The episode is a real look at lion care, animal welfare, and the practical problem-solving behind managing older big cats.

Created for viewers who enjoy wildlife documentaries, lion sanctuary stories, animal rescue-style care, and behind-the-scenes big cat handling. It also fits searches for Kevin Richardson, The Lion Whisperer, lion behaviour, aging lions, sanctuary management, and wildlife conservation content for fans of gentle, educational animal videos.

Category

🐳
Animals
Transcript
00:01Like the Pied Piper, Meg and Ikki are refusing to vacate the camp that leads into the big
00:13walking camp which is really prohibiting me from taking other animals for walks.
00:18We really do need to get Ikki and Meggie out of that camp.
00:35Smart boy.
00:45Yep, there we go. Nice.
00:53I think she'll yell all along. Hello. You know what you think?
00:58Oh, oh, oh. Yeah.
01:04Hello my gorgeous. Oh, you're going to come in here.
01:09Yeah. Hello my sweetie pa. Yes.
01:16Hello my gorgeous.
01:22Good girl.
01:28All right.
01:32So
01:37I had to leave Meg for a bit to
01:43just let her relax and calm down but what she then did is walked up to the
01:49enclosure that she was in with Ikki before she went on the walk.
01:54Up in the north, it's the bigger area.
01:57And guys, the reason why she didn't want to load wasn't because Meg was being
02:03stubborn like she can be.
02:05It was actually because I think she's feeling insecure about the weakness
02:11in her hind quarters.
02:13So
02:14before everyone starts writing in and saying I should
02:18give her the ramp, I've literally tried the ramp.
02:21She's very nervous of the ramp.
02:23She doesn't like the ramp.
02:24Icarus loves the ramp.
02:26So I'll just say that.
02:27But
02:29she doesn't like the ramp.
02:30She likes to get on, get in on her own,
02:33under her own steam.
02:35And so yeah, we are trying to figure it out to help her
02:41to make it easier.
02:43Unfortunately, it's just not viable to buy
02:45lower vehicles at this point in time.
02:48Just so that an elderly lion can get in or be moved around.
02:54And therefore, yeah, it's just one of those things that we got to kind of figure out.
02:58When she is feeling stronger and more sprightly, it isn't a problem.
03:05So I think this is one of those days they were fed yesterday.
03:09So she is feeling a little bit demotivated in terms of food.
03:15But guys, I will say, you know what, I'll say this.
03:21It was such an amazing day with Meg and Icarus.
03:27It was really, really awesome.
03:29I haven't seen Meg this affectionate in years.
03:44So affectionate and loving and gentle.
03:48Meg can be boisterous, even at this ripe old age.
03:52But today, she's just been so, so loving and adorable.
03:57And I am like, yeah, I'm very suspicious.
04:00What's up? You know, why are you behaving like this?
04:05Anyway, we're going to just get a little drink of water here.
04:10And then we're going to love and leave and say goodbye.
04:13And I think, yeah, we'll make a decision as to whether
04:23to bring Icarus back here or bring her there tomorrow.
04:36All right, so good morning, guys.
04:42So last week I took Meg and Icarus for a walk and then I wanted to get them back.
04:53And Icarus was an absolute star, but Meg refused to load.
04:58So eventually what happened is we moved Meg into the area that she was before the walk.
05:05We just walked her there and she was quite happy to do that.
05:10But she didn't want to load.
05:12Hello, my girl.
05:14She refused.
05:15It wasn't a typical Meg refusal.
05:18It wasn't being stubborn.
05:20But she was lacking the confidence to jump onto the or into the vehicle.
05:26So we left her and decided to try her the next day.
05:29But what we did do was move Icarus to another camp.
05:34So the next day comes, I come with Dhaka to try and load Meg.
05:39And she sees me and she runs away.
05:42So she went and hid in the bush and she just didn't want to move.
05:46So I actually had to go and fetch Icarus and bring him back to her.
05:50So we're back to square one.
05:52Both of them in the camp next to the walking area.
05:55I want to move them out so I can move the next group in.
05:59And here we are trying to move Meg and we hope that she's going to comply.
06:05We've just locked Icarus away in the side section so that we can focus on Meg.
06:11Once she's in, he should be a lot easier.
06:22Oh you've been a naughty sweetie-pa.
06:32That tail is doing the jig today.
06:44So really guys, it's just lacking the confidence here.
06:48You're lacking the confidence.
06:53But not today.
06:55Not today you're not.
07:01There goes nothing.
07:22I think that's a good girl.
07:46That's okay.
07:48That's okay.
07:55I'll even go away.
08:02Yeah my girl, yeah.
08:04Look here.
08:05Look what daddy has.
08:06Yeah, look here.
08:09Nice.
08:09Nice.
08:11Or do you want me to get in?
08:16You'll be happier if I get in.
08:18Happier.
08:19If I get in.
08:21Okay.
08:22I don't mind.
08:23I can get in.
08:31There we go.
08:32Look here.
08:33Meg?
08:34Yeah, look here.
08:40There.
08:46And you know it will even take you, yeah.
08:50We'll take you on your own girl.
08:53If that's what you want.
08:54Do you want to go on your own?
08:56Eh?
08:58Should we try the...
09:00The ramp.
09:03To the ramp.
09:04Yeah.
09:05Yeah.
09:06Meg.
09:08Yeah.
09:19Wait, Meg, look here.
09:21Meg.
09:47All yours if you get in.
09:50Okay guys, so...
09:53We didn't win.
09:58Unfortunately, Meg has had enough.
10:03So what we are going to attempt to do is we're going to attempt to build a soil hump.
10:13So a mound of soil that's obviously she feels comfortable enough to walk on.
10:20And then make it extremely long and gradual.
10:24So she literally just walks in to the loading car.
10:30So there's no need for any kind of extreme movement.
10:35And definitely no need for any jumping.
10:38So George is going to go away and scratch his head and consult with Marcel etc on how to
10:44to build that.
10:47Because guys, actually at the end of the day this camp is is really essential
10:52for the movement of all the other animals in the sanctuary.
10:56This is the camp that leads into the walking camp.
10:59So as long as Meg occupies this camp with Icarus, no one else can go walking.
11:05So it's pretty...
11:07It's pretty...
11:09It's pretty urgent.
11:11It's pretty important that we come up with a plan.
11:18She's gone to sulk off there in the bush.
11:21Hello boy.
11:32Yeah buddy, sorry Ikki.
11:34I'm going to be moving today.
11:40Yeah, so
11:43old age
11:45unfortunately is a real thing.
11:48It's a reality.
11:51And we've just got to, you know, get smarter
11:57about how we go about things.
12:02So yeah, leave it to us.
12:04We will come up with a plan.
12:06But until then Icarus and Meg remain here.
12:10I'm sure they're not too unhappy about it because it's a really nice camp.
12:14Yeah.
12:15Okay.
12:16We'll leave it there.
12:18So there it is guys, the catwalk.
12:22Morning George.
12:23Morning.
12:24Do you think she's going to use your wonderful catwalk?
12:28I don't know.
12:29She's walking away.
12:31She's walking away?
12:32Yeah.
12:33Meg, don't be a cow.
12:35Meggie!
12:36Hello my girl.
12:47We'll talk to you soon soon.
12:49Yes, we will.
12:50Bye.
13:01No, thank you.
13:02Bye-bye.
13:02Bye-bye.
13:02Bye.
13:03Bye-bye.
13:04Bye-bye.
13:04Bye-bye.
13:05Bye-bye.
13:06Bye-bye.
13:07Bye-bye.
13:09Bye-bye.
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