This Young Lioness Is Beast Buddies With An Otter

An unusual friendship has formed between a playful otter and a mischievous lioness. Petite Annel Snyman has raised a lion and otter in her house – and now they are best friends. Annel runs Loebies Guesthouse and Predator Park in the Limpopo Province of South Africa – home to everything from lions and leopards to hyenas and meerkats. And in addition to her amazing interactions with the colossal animals, a fascinating friendship has developed on site between her pet lion Kumari and pet otter Moses.Show more

Kumari was born earlier this year from an adult lioness and Annel is keeping a close eye on the first-born lioness. She used to live in a nursery in Annel’s house, but now that she’s bigger, she gets to roam outside and play.

The 34-year-old said: “The reason I have a close bond with the animals is because I raised them from a very young age. In 2009 I was introduced to wild cats and in 2010 I got the necessary permits to raise and keep lions. But, I still know that I need to respect them because they are wild animals.”

The furry friends often play fight together with Kumari using her huge paws to pin the tiny otter down. They follow each other around and seem to really enjoy causing mischief. Annel expects Kumari to keep playing with Moses even after she’s way bigger.

Videographer / director: Annel Snyman
Producer: Danny Baggott, Ruby Coote
Editor: Dan Cousins