About a year ago, film started to circulate on YouTube(R) of a remarkable man named Kevin Richardson, an animal custodian in a South African animal park. The film showed Richardson in his day-to-day work, looking some of the world's most dangerous animals directly in the eye, crouching down at their level, playing with them and, sometimes, even kissing them on the nose--all without ever being attacked or injured. The films' popularity skyrocketed and Richardson became an international sensation. In Part of the Pride, Kevin Richardson tells the story of his life and work, how he grew from a young boy who cared for so many animals that he was called The Bird Man of Orange Grove to an adolescent who ran wild and, finally, to a man who is able to cross the divide between humans and predators. As a self-taught animal behaviorist, Richardson has broken every safety rule known to humans when working with these wild animals. Flouting common misconceptions that breaking an animal's spirit with sticks and chains is the best way to subdue them, he uses love, understanding and trust to develop personal bonds with them. His unique method of getting to know their individual personalities, what makes each of them angry, happy, upset, or irritated--just like a mother understands a child--has caused them to accept him like one of their own into their fold. Like anyone else who truly loves animals, Richardson allows their own stories to share center stage as he tells readers about Napoleon and Tau, the two male lions he calls his brothers; the amazing Meg, a lioness Richardson taught to swim; the fierce Tsavo who savagely attacked him; and the heartbreaking little hyena called Homer who didn't live to see his first birthday. Richardson also chronicles his work on the forthcoming feature film The White Lion and has a lot to say about the state of lion farming and hunting in South Africa today. In Part of the Pride, Richardson, with novelist Tony Park, delves into the mind of the big cats and their world to show readers a different way of understanding the dangerous big cats of Africa.

"In his first book, lion keeper and animal behaviorist Richardson, a popular YouTube fixture with a feature film on the way, chronicles his life and career while explaining his unique ability to gain the trust of predators like lions and hyenas. Working at the South African Lion Park and the Kingdom of the White Lion sanctuaries, Richardson has been accepted by some of his lions as a brother, 'sometimes even a father... a friend to others, and an acquaintance to the rest.' Native South African Richardson mingles with his animals freely; though he has been attacked, he credits his 'lifelong love-affair with dangerous things' for his ability to keep cool. (Although, on being nearly mauled to death early in his career, he says, 'What do you do when a lion is trying to eat you? Anything you can think of.') After leaving university, Richardson met Rodney Fuhr of the Lion Park, located in the Johannesburg suburbs, and worked his way from staff physical fitness coach to full-time animal trainer and film-maker. An engrossing account of a young life in Africa, this adventurous tale also provides amazing insight into the minds of Africa's most beautiful and dangerous creatures. Color photos." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Looking some of the world's most deadly animals directly in the eye, Kevin Richardson has made a place for himself in the often dangerous animal kingdom. He's broken every taboo working with lions, hyenas and other predators. Flouting common misconceptions that breaking an animal's spirit is the best way to subdue them, he uses love, understanding and trust to develop deep personal bonds with them. His unique method of learning their individual personalities, what makes each one angry, happy, or irritated--like a mother to a child--has caused them to accept him like one of their own. Richardson sleeps with adult male lions, cuddles newborn hyenas, and swims with lionesses. This powerful connection has dispelled myths and shown these animals as complex creatures capable of human-like bonds. In this remarkable book, Richardson, with novelist Tony Park, delves into the minds of the big cats to show how he became a part of the pride.

Refuting the idea that breaking an animal's spirit is the best way to subdue it, Richardson shows these animals to be complex creatures capable of human-like bonds. Here, Richardson delves into the minds of the big cats to show how he had become a part of the pride.