Lion Gosh marks 20th birthday after near-fatal start

Lion Gosh from Irkutsk Zoo is a long-lived individual, and he recently celebrated his 20th birthday. In the wild, these big cats live a maximum of 12–14 years, and males even less. When Gosh was a very small cub, he almost died, but in Irkutsk he was saved and brought back to life. The story of the fearsome predator is in our short video.

The tiny lion cub was abandoned to Lyudmila and Vadim Ivushkin in the mid-2000s. He was brought in a cramped wooden box that smelled terribly. Moreover, the three-month-old predator was so weak and sick that he couldn«t even walk.

«He lived in the box for several months practically on a bed of his own excretions. And it was a truly horrifying sight,» recalls zoo volunteer Svyatoslav Pantyukhov.

It turned out that the cub had been ordered by an oligarch from Bratsk for the New Year, but he changed his mind at the last moment. Therefore, the cub was taken to Angarsk, where he lived in a garage in that same wooden box.

«By the time he came to us, he couldn»t even make any sounds practically, and almost all his paws had failed,» also recounted the zoo volunteer.

The zoo staff fought for his life for a very long time, and in the end, they won. However, lion Gosh developed pancreatitis and has been taking medication all his life. The Ivushkins« daughter Alexandra fed the small predator by hand because the young predator wouldn»t let other people near him.

When Gosh grew up, they brought him a companion — a young lioness named Sarabi. She was small at the time but immediately showed character. Tiny Sarabi always ate first, and big, strong Gosh patiently waited nearby until his lady had lunch.

«When Sarabi grew up, she and Gosh became a full-fledged pair and surprised us with offspring for three years in a row,» recalled Lyudmila Ivushkina.

The couple Gosh and Sarabi are still together, and even at their venerable age, they continue to care for each other and show amazing tenderness. Gosh has gone completely blind and doesn«t feel as spry as he once did, but he still doesn»t stop paying attention to his wild little cat.

The detailed story of lion Gosh, who by human standards is already about 100 years old, can be read at this link.