Ah, the mighty lion. The king of the jungle, one of nature’s most ferocious beasts.
But despite their reputation, some lions are as gentle as a baby — like one rescue lion, who can’t get to sleep without a cozy blanket!
That’s Lambert the lion, a resident at In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center in Wylie, Texas who’s become well known for his love of blankets.
Lambert arrived in 2014 when he was just a cub. His former family bought him illegally after the kids saw The Lion King and asked for a cub. Naturally, it didn’t last long.
“There was a family in west Texas that purchased him privately and realized really quickly things weren’t working out and donated him to the facility,” rescue spokesperson Angela Culver told ABC News.
On his first night, they saw the lion was having trouble sleeping and seemed anxious, so they tried to make him feel more at home.
“We had heard from the previous owners that he slept in the bed with the grandfather,” founder Vicky Keahey told The Dodo.
“I started thinking, ‘Okay, he’s used to being in a house, he’s used to sleeping in the bed with grandpa.’ So I got him a blanket, went into the enclosure and put the blanket in one of the corners.”
The idea worked like a charm—the blanket calmed him down and he hasn’t slept without one since.
“He curled up on that blanket and he went right to sleep,” Vicky said. “Ever since then, I always give him a blanket.”
Lambert is now a fully-grown lion, but he still won’t be without a trusty blanket. He’s gone through of them over the years.
“It is a mandatory,” Angela told ABC News. “Everybody knows he gets his blanket.”
For his birthday in 2017, they even got him a very special blanket with his face on it!
It’s clear that Lambert loved the gift and put it to good use:
The cozy blankets are just one part of this lion’s happy life at the rescue. He has lots of toys to play with and even knows how to skateboard.
And most importantly he’s loved by everyone at the rescue.
“He’s my baby. He’s my child,” Vicky told The Dodo.
What an adorable lion! Lambert is proving that even the most ferocious big cats can still have a sensitive side!
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