Unlikely Animal Friends: Cute Lion Cub and Meerkats

A BABY lion cub growls with joy as he explores his new surroundings. The cute youngster is the latest house guest of Annel Snyman, owner of Loebies Guesthouse and Predator Park in the Limpopo province of South Africa. At present the 32-year-old is required to play mum to cub Robyn, who has to be bottle-fed and winded. Loebies is home to lions, leopards, caracal, servals, as well as the 32-year-old's faithful dog Diesel and a mob of meerkats. The South African has been hand-rearing wild animals since 2009, and says the big cats have become an essential part of her life. And while nursing a lion might not be for everybody, Annel has no doubt that she has found her calling.