Zookeeper Throws Bored Lion Soccer Ball And Big Cat's Reaction Catches Her Entirely Off Guard

Apr 21, 2020 by apost team

Let’s face it. Some cats have a reputation for being finicky and aloof, but inside every cat is a kitten who can’t wait to play with its favorite toy. At the Johannesburg Zoo, one of the biggest cats of them all, a beautiful male lion named Triton, has an all-time favorite toy — a soccer ball. The ball-playing lion attracted widespread media attention back in 2010 leading up to FIFA's World Cup in Johannesburg.

Every time his zoo-keeper, Agnes Maluleke, throws the soccer ball into his enclosure, he transforms into a nimble and playful kitten. You can’t help but smile at the mischievous look in his eye as he chases the ball all over the enclosure, batting at it and biting it playfully. He even knocks the ball into the water and plops right in after it with an impressive splash.

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Contrary to the behavior he is displaying, Triton was actually a fully grown 11-year-old lion at the time, as the Daily Mail points out. His keeper says in the video below that although he looks like a normal lion, he was actually born with a color mutation and is called a “white lion” (not to be confused with an albino lion, which is a different mutation). The first of these was only just discovered in 1938, according to Rhino Africa. Despite their lighter coat, these lions seem to be just as skilled when it comes to hunting and surviving in the wild. In fact, they have even been successfully re-integrated into the wild.

Playing is an important part of their development and teaches them how to stalk, hunt, and fight when necessary. It’s mesmerizing to watch such a powerful beast play so innocently with a soccer ball — he’s so good, maybe professional soccer players could learn a thing or two from him.

Does watching Triton play with a ball make you forget how ferocious he could really be? Let your friends in on this jaw-dropping exhibition of playful behavior from such a serious and regal creature.