Living With Lions For 72 Hours | Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over 

They should be in a sanctuary with lots of land mimicking their own and professionals on staff.

Yeah he obviously cares for them well and knows what he's doing but those enclosures are not adequate 😢

I’m sorry but the amount of space is the problem. It’s great that he rescued them and if it was short-term that would be great but they need to be in a sanctuary where they can roam and run free and have the space space where they don’t feel like they’re in an enclosure, but his is not, adequate at all

⁠@@brigettehinton3941 What do you think a wild animal professional IS ? It’s just somebody trained to care for an exotic creature - as Reece is. He wouldn’t have been granted the license without the proper training. There’s nothing to indicate Reece hasn’t been properly trained, or that he doesn’t have properly credentialed back-up in the event he’s unavailable. If you’re talking about 24/7 staff, you should realize that zoo personnel go home at night. Any overnight security is meant to prevent intruders from coming IN to the facility - NOT to prevent the animals from escaping. Information about animal nutrition is easily obtained from specialized veterinarians - and medical care would be on a par with house pets. And keep in mind that if these cats WERE out in the wild, they’d be receiving no nutritional or veterinary assistance AT ALL.

@@prbd0985 You and @littlelizzi3135 have no clue as to the space requirements of lions - and I’m not talking about what the regulations are, either. Lions are NOT herd animals that scamper about and “run free” in the wild. They spend the majority of their time sleeping and lounging around in groups. Due to their large size and caloric needs, their instinctual behavior is to conserve energy - which means ONLY running when necessary: to drive off a rival, or to hunt for food. In the wild, lions are SO averse to hunting that they prefer to eat animals killed by other predators- or those which died from natural causes - over freshly killed game. The only reason they roam is to follow the herds they prey upon - not from any urge to enjoy the vast plains or for a change of scenery. Animals confined in too small of an enclosure display a VERY particular behavior: they pace back and forth in front of the fence they’re trapped behind. I didn’t see ANY pacing from the big cats in this video. Really, you folks have some very erroneously romantic ideas about life in the wild. Unlike their non-captive brethren, these animals enjoy a steady diet and can expect to live much longer than they would in nature. Please do some research.

And he is not monetizing these animals. People are disgusting. People are the reason this couple has been left to pick up the pieces.

The opposite. Uk should pass laws against holding wild animals as pets. as a normal country. Only in 3rd world countries and dictatorships (as the dictatoships in Middle East), citizens can hold wild animals as pets

@@empress2529 this is the most nonsensical rubbish logic I have ever had the misfortune to come across. Utter idiocy. Again, education is free my darling, try for some. Best of luck with that. Maybe start with correct grammar? And work your way up from there x

@@callmec0c0 Rubbish? to create laws in order to prevent from civilians holding wild animals, as pets? are you serious???

Great comment @callmec0c0 - as Annie says, haters are always going to hate. And be bloody rude with it.

Lol, right? That was my thought!

Because people are stupid! They’re full of themselves and think they can handle it. They want to be the center of attention for owning an exotic animal.

The opposite. They should be in a reserve in Africa, home and UK shall pass laws against having wild animals as a pet

​@empress2529 Send them home to South Africa where there are amazing sanctuaries. It's in the African bush. The smells of Africa, their instincts will tell them they are in their rightful home. These amazing places know they can never be back çompletely in the wild. No one owns wild animals!!

I’d point out that these programmes are edited - so we haven’t been provided with the entire opinion that each person articulated. It seems to me that he’s the major breadwinner of the family - and that he’s providing the majority of the support for their home. So if the home wouldn’t exist without the support he provides, then the family would be dispersed - and wouldn’t have a say in what he does with his life anyway. Reece and his girlfriend aren’t married (or even engaged, it seems). Marriage is absolutely a different arrangement, with different duties, obligations and responsibilities. Had they been married and she not been consulted on the acquisition of the big cats, then I’d agree that’s inappropriate. So providing these caveats, I agree: Each member of the family is an adult and can choose to live with Reece or part company. They’ve chosen to live together as a family. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Edited to add that zoos keep big cats and prey animals on the same property all the time - an no one objects. It’s not like they’re in the same enclosure. If horses have learned to co-exist with automobiles traveling 55+ mph, I don’t see what the big deal is.

The lions were 5 fkg weeks old!!! That's when you build to release.

@@oktobersodyssey …bred in captivity…

Actually, my main concern was for the capybara who seemed to be living by itself in the utility room. They live in families in swampy areas so I hope that was a very temporary solution!!

And actually see the reasons behind everything he did. 100% on your side.

Your post would have been sufficient after the first sentence.

@@mango8918um, alright lol 😂

@@mango8918rude much. You don’t belong on public forums if you’re just going to be rude🧌

I live in africa...lots of national parks here where you can do horseback safaris where all these animals live in the wild and there is not even a fence between them and the horses..they get on fine..I actually have friends that run a camp and they have horses there and they go out on them all the time....I suppose it depends on how horses are trained and what they are used to

Come on! That big cat enclosure is HARDLY a “converted horse stall!” It’s open air, built entirely differently, and much, much larger than a stall. Wild lions spend most of their time sleeping or lounging around - they don’t utilize large swaths of land for exercise and play. Due to their heft, lions are geared to conserving as much energy as possible. I’ve seen lions in zoos kept in similar - or smaller - cages. As long as the lions have enough free space to walk, climb and jump, they’re in good shape. Granted, it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing enclosure - but then again, neither are horse stalls, are they?

these animals can't go back into the wild. They've never learned to hunt, find water, etc. The only thing moving them to africa would do is put them in a sanctuary there. Thats not much different from being in brittain.

Without a mother lion to rear them and train them to hunt and survive, there was never a chance for these lions to survive in the wild - or in a sanctuary for that matter. Lions need to be brought up socialized with other lions to be accepted into another pride - and the male lion was particularly vulnerable, as he’d have to fight other males for dominance. This is why these two were slated to be euthanized: Raising and keeping lions is an expensive proposition, and a new enclosure would need to be provided for the adult male. As an aside: Much of Africa is hard pressed caring for the lions already in captivity there. It’s not the responsibility of the nations of Africa to bear when Europeans mis-manage wildlife native to their continent. Moreover: It’s not for us to tell the nations of Africa to take in homeless wildlife. Were Reece to turn the big cats over to strangers, he’d lose oversight of their care. Just as with any other creature one homes, Reece accepted the responsibility for these lions and is continuing to ensure their needs are met - which is his ethical duty. Zoos and sanctuaries shut town all the time - rehoming the lions is no guarantee that they’d be safe. I see it as wholly irresponsible to consider putting the lions through the stress of yet another unnecessary transition.

Yeah, people keep overlooking the fact that the cats would have been euthanized. Apparently no zoo or other animal organization was interested in acquiring them. I’m not surprised: caring for big cats is an expensive proposition - and zoos aren’t as popular as they once were, so there just wouldn’t have been enough revenue to justify taking them in. The male lion would have needed to be kept separately from other males …it just wasn’t worth it for the big organizations.

@@jenniferlynn3537 Very true! 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

I think it’s fair to question how secure the enclosures are - such as whether a lion or puma has the strength or dexterity to escape their enclosures. However, I think Stacy’s line of questioning regarding the employee who entered the enclosure and was killed was completely inappropriate - as that is far, FAR different from a threat to the public. We don’t know the circumstances - but I suspect the person killed took it upon herself to enter the enclosure without permission. The same thing has happened at zoos and safari parks …you can’t prevent people from being stupid or doing stupid things. People mistake wild animals for cute, cuddly and friendly all the time - they choose to engage in dangerous behavior - whether the animals are in captivity or not. I admit, I’m here in the U.S. where there are still wild bears, wolves, coyotes and mountain lions. I don’t live in a state that has them, but other Americans have them nearby, where they’ve been videoed coming into the backyard, walking on porches, swimming in the family pool and capturing the owner’s dog for dinner. Being American, I understand that I may have a different perspective about personal responsibility vs. responsibility to society than the British - and this BBC programme was produced for British audiences. The British have national healthcare whereas Americans do not. Gun control in Britain is much tighter than in the U.S. - and their subjects believe that’s in their country’s best interest. So the perspective there may be that it’s irresponsible and an unwarranted threat to the public welfare to be harboring predatory animals. Yet even domesticated dogs can kill humans. I don’t see the difference in threat between this situation and a zoo - if you’re licensed, then you meet the necessary requirements to manage wild animals. Perhaps people are put off by these animals being carnivores - but I’d point out that even herbivore gorillas - which are primates like us, no less - also have the potential to kill. Sadly, the reality is that the neighbors are at far greater risk of dying in a car accident or being killed by another person than by these captive big cats. What I would say is that unless Britain chooses to ban harboring big cats in the entirety, then there’s no justification for disallowing this circumstance.

@@jenniferlynn3537 Ohh yeah I agree that they should be able to question his judgement at keeping feral animals so close to humanity, but he seems to be doing the absolute best he can.

at 5 weeks old they already couldn't go into the wild. How do you even suggest doing that, just let them loose close to a group of wild lions? sure, that won't end bloody...

Lions need to be reared by their mother - who teaches them to hunt. They’d have become prey in the blink of an eye were they returned to the wild in any African nation - even if a country would have accepted them (which isn’t their responsibility). And it’s not for us to tell other countries what animals they must accept. I’d like to know what parameters you’re using to gauge lion happiness. In captivity, lions are fed a steady, daily diet- not so in the wild. In the wild they have to fight for their survival, for dominance, and to protect their young - hardly an easy life. Lions in captivity live longer than their free-roaming cousins. Where did you get your ideas from, anyway?

No because they don’t have the skills to live in the wild because they have never been in the wild.

@@samanthacrump1976 I think the commenter meant, why weren't they taken to a sanctuary in Africa, where they'd have more natural space. It would have been very difficult to do that; all African countries have strict laws around importing animals and there aren't enough sanctuaries for all the orphaned and rescued animals needing homes there, let alone ones from other countries.

@@KathyPrendergast-cu5ci Correct. Moreover, it’s not the duty of the nations of Africa to accept responsibility for animals which Europeans have mis-managed. THAT’s why these lions were destined for euthanasia.

What the heck are you talking about? Wild lions don’t run “miles daily” - they wouldn’t even roam if they didn’t have to follow the herds they prey upon! Lions sleep and rest most of the day - they only run when they’re hunting or fighting for dominance or their lives. They’d prefer to eat animals killed by other means than doing their own hunting. Mature lions in the wild don’t scamper about out of boredom or because they’re hankering for a change of scenery - they only do so out of necessity. There are plenty of videos on RU-vid that provide education on the proclivities of lions in the wild.

Just like I replied earlier: Yeah but knowing those animals WERE BORN IN CAPTIVITY and he did not pay a dollar por them, but rather gave them a place to live, that's different. And said from a vegan herself, who thinks zoos should not exist and so on. You have to know the story, or else jumping to conclusions is an error.

I don't like any animals in cages, I am so happy my kid's are grown up and don't have to deal with that anymore, although they had one hamster and one guinea pig, that was enough 😂

So don’t go to your local zoo babe and instead of bitching about this man who tried to do something good for these otherwise condemned animals maybe get off the internet and do some conservation awareness, volunteering or donating. 🙄

in the 60's it was a lot easier to just bring a lion to africa. nowadays most countries have very strict laws about importing lions, making it pretty much impossible to do.

Just like I replied earlier: Yeah but knowing those animals WERE BORN IN CAPTIVITY and he did not pay a dollar por them, but rather gave them a place to live, that's different. And said from a vegan herself, who thinks zoos should not exist and so on. You have to know the story, or else jumping to conclusions is an error.

Just like I replied earlier: Yeah but knowing those animals WERE BORN IN CAPTIVITY and he did not pay a dollar por them, but rather gave them a place to live, that's different. And said from a vegan herself, who thinks zoos should not exist and so on. You have to know the story, or else jumping to conclusions is an error.

@@lemondedetr didn't jump to anything! I get that he's their saviour, however, they do not belong in small suburban enclosures it's not fair to them....

Exactly !!! he's not "saved" then at all. Yes MAYBE their lives are better than they would have been, but its definitely not best for the animals! Take them to an environment they belong!

So they can be “released” for cage hunting? For someone who lives in Africa you are clueless. Get off the sunshine and rainbows bus honey, this is the best quality of life these animals can receive for where they are. Do you think it’s any more fair for them to sit in freight crates to be shipped to SA? Think how traumatic that would be for them. Or be held in an even smaller quarantine enclosure for 12 months before being released into something only slightly bigger than what they’re in now? What you are saying makes zero sense.

@@callmec0c0 oh dear, another smarty pants....NOT!! perhaps you should actually READ what I wrote and not EN-VISION words that are NOT THERE 😡....and by the by.... YOU'RE the CLUELESS one dear....oopsy forgot....you clearly live in a fog filled bubble because they are confined for a short period of time and then RELEASED either in sanctuaries or other places AND they are in THEIR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT FOR LIFE, un-like where they currently are living in cold weather and tiny en-closures...seems to me you're helluva defensive and I wonder why 🤔