Dog shares room with a lion
Published: March 24, 2006
Putting a dog in a lion’s cage would usually mean mealtime.
Yet these two animals have managed to become compatible roommates at a South Korean zoo in Jinjoo, a small rural town in Gyeongsang province, 342 km south of Seoul.
The rare sight has sparked the curiosity of many visitors.
“It is fascinating that the lion doesn’t eat the dog. It’s weird,” said 13-year-old Yoon Jae-hyun, who visited the Jinyangho Zoo with his family.
The 10-year-old lioness named Soonee, which means ‘tame’ in Korean, and four-year-old South Korean Jindo dog Tang-chil, named after a popular Korean cartoon character, have been living together since 2002. Zookeeper Kim Hyun-gab said animals are usually paired with a companion when they show signs of loneliness. Soonee fits this case, as she has spent her time mainly alone and rejected male lions when she was sent to a different zoo for marriage.
Initially, Kim cautiously tested the companionship of the two.
“In the beginning we let the dog stay near the lion for an hour and the zookeepers stayed close by to watch. We did that for 15 days, then 20 days, then we let them stay together. They got along as if they were the same species,” said the 43-year-old zookeeper.
Kim says the lioness still possesses characteristics of a wild animal, which she displays when she eats a whole uncooked chicken. But she is tamer than what the average lion is known for.
Kim had taken care of the lioness after her mother abandoned her when she was a cub - a big reason why, Kim believes, the lioness and dog became friends so quickly.
“Other lions would think of eating the dog. But Soonee has been domesticated by us. But the lion’s front teeth are still four to five centimetres,” he said.
But Tang-chil has become fiercer and bolder. When a caged bear nearby tries to steal his food, Tang-chil barks aggressively, forcing the large animal to back away. Kim also says the dog sometimes barks loudly at Soonee, surprising her.
The zookeeper says the lion and dog’s relationship is strictly platonic.
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