Kevin Richardson LionWhisperer さんのインスタグラム写真 - (Kevin Richardson LionWhisperer Instagram)「Sitting down, minding my own business, Vayetse walks up to me to give me a head rub. Why did he do that? Head rubbing and licking reinforce social bonds in lions. When his enrichment walk started around 20-30 minutes before this moment, he was overstimulated with other scents and sights that kept his mind busy and in overdrive. This is excellent mental stimulation for him which he and his ladies don’t otherwise get in their normal surroundings especially after being there for some time. It’s one of the biggest reasons why I keep a personal relationship with the lions in my care. Without this relationship Vayetse, Livy and Ginny would never get opportunities like these and would probably live out the rest of their days in an enclosure spanning a hectare or 2. We’ve all had a taste of how this feels during lockdown. So back to why he comes up to head rub. Well after he’s gotten all his mental stimulation for the morning his brain starts taking other things in, like Livy, Ginny and ... well... me. Basically he’s reaffirming his bond with me and getting his scent rubbed on my head. I’m in a very vulnerable and submissive position yet he chooses to reinforce his bond which shows and reinforces the trust we have in each other. We also both get a release of Oxytocin during this bonding moment. 📸 @nombekana With special thanks as always to @craghoppersofficial for my incredible #nosilife gear that always stands up to the rigorous tests the lions put it through」8月3日 21時31分