When Lambert's rescuer Vicky Keahey first saw him in June 2014, he looked more like a puppy dog than a mighty lion. Illegally purchased by a family who didn't want him anymore, he desperately needed help. So Keahey was more than happy to take him to her rescue "In-Sync Exotics."
"The previous owners obtained him illegally as a pet for their young children," Angela Culver, Keahey's media director, told Bored Panda. The children wanted a Simba after seeing The Lion King. "After a short time, the family decided they could not keep him, so we were contacted asking if we could take him, which of course we were happy to do."
"We had heard from the previous owners that he slept in the bed with the grandfather," said Keahey to The Dodo. "So I got him a blanket, went into the enclosure and put the blanket in one of the corners. He curled up on that blanket and he went right to sleep. Ever since then, I always give him a blanket."
Now, Lambert is 2 years old and still lives under the care of Keahey because he couldn't survive in the wild. "He has 7,000 sq. ft. worth of space to run around in, which includes a covered den area for shade and protection from the weather and a sunny, grassy playground with the pool he loves to play in," Culver added. "He is just like any other 2 year-old lion in that he is active and playful, and is full of cattitude. You know where you stand with him."
More info: insyncexotics.com (h/t: thedodo)
When Lambert's rescuer Vicky Keahey first saw him, he looked more like a puppy dog than a mighty lion
Illegally purchased by a family who didn't want him anymore, he desperately needed help
"We had heard from the previous owners that he slept in the bed with the grandfather," said Keahey
"So I got him a blanket. He curled up on that blanket and he went right to sleep"
"Ever since then, I always give him a blanket"
"He's my baby. He's my child"
Watch the video here:
Thank you, Angela Culver, for talking to Bored Panda about Lambert!