The Lion Man

- Season 3

(2007)

Zion Gardens now has 43 big cats. Craig prepares to personally deliver white Bengal tiger cubs Rongo and Kiwi to Ed Hern's South African. They are the promised counterpart for white - and Barbary lion cubs Gandor and Shikira, now adults in Zion, where Imvula is to gives birth just after his return to Austral Asia's first 'own' white lion cub, Khan, who tries to fraternize with lion cubs. But a young tiger has made a bad fall.

Craig is delighted to help, in the cage all the time, with the first white lion birth in New Zealand, double even because he gets two healthy cubs. Slightly older Cub Khan has surgery for a hernia, which ends well despite sedation trouble. Meanwhile the adult white lions pride must be protected against intrusion by the wild lions, so a concrete rim is build preventing any passage digging.

Thanks to Craig's intimate assistance, even lion Shikira's dentist appointment goes easily. The various cubs are settling into their routine, which is new for Kahn, but he soon finds his place. Meanwhile rivalries and character differences complicate life for the park staff.

Craig is surprised when white tigress Rewa gives birth sooner the expected, and has three healthy cubs, which she starts caring for well. Heavy rains test the drainage system to the limit and cause a mess which staff must frantically remove. The cats get listless and Rewa rejects her litter like the previous one, so they get fed by zoo staff. While dragging a big branch into a tigers cage as a toy, Craig falls and is nearly devoured by one of its two hand-raised tigers, but manages to regain control.

Craig continues 'socializing' his big cats, even by fraternizing tiger - and lion cubs. Next several of the playful white youngster are to 'perform' at a pet shop's grand opening, demonstrating the remarkable results of Craig's pseudo-parental touch. Despite all efforts, such as hand-feeding, tensions and rivalries still cause lots of problems and worries, now again enough to build another lions dwelling.

In order to stop the physically dangerous rivalry between old and new lion kings Zion and Gandor, Craig's team builds a new enclosure, within one day. Meanwhile the tiger (cub) feeding, socializing youngster with people and their dad as well as leashed-walk-training go on.

Craig delighted to discover a young adult white lioness, which he just gave a separate enclosure with a known father, just give birth, unexpectedly early, to three cubs already. A fourth follows while he keeps a watchful eye, needed as she lacks maternal routine. The nursery duties are accordingly increased. Craig still finds time to go fishing for his cats menu variation, but their appreciation is most disappointing. Meanwile tiger cubs get their infancy shots.

Craig has to help vet Brett treat a tiger's tooth ache, a very delicate balance exercise between medical animal welfare and safety-vital confidence-grudge-accounting. The young white tigress mother has such a bad maternal instinct that Craig has to transfer the cubs to human substitute mothering and even supervises personally her return to the pride where another mother has somewhat older cubs. Bengal tigress Kali demonstrates to visitors what amazing socializing results Craig's method can achieve, yet never without residual risk.

Sadly, vet Brett can't cure tiger cub Khan's congenital problems, so he has to be put down and gets a funeral with full staff attendance. Khali is the star of Craig's money-raising show, which has to be prepared for on schedule, although if using tiger cages for storage isn't easy, even with Craig around.

Craig takes a selection of tigers, lions and cubs to the largest show on Southland, a major chunk in Zion's annual budget. It requires elaborate preparation, before, during and after the trip. Despite some surprises and an uncharacteristically moody Kali, everything works out well. This season finale also includes a series of flash-backs.