- 1 week ago
2025 with Kevin Richardson, the Lion Whisperer, is a moving year-in-review filled with unforgettable lion moments, hard truths, and heartfelt goodbyes. From Meg and Icarus greeting him at the van to the release of The Last Lion short film, the video captures the joy, chaos, and emotion that shaped the year.
There are playful enrichment walks, lions charging through the water, Bobcat and Gabby sharing a special moment with Kevin, and a powerful discussion about lion poaching in the Greater Kruger National Park. The tribute to Bongani is especially emotional, honouring a true fighter after almost 22 years at the sanctuary. Kevin also reflects on the future of Lion Whisperer TV and the work ahead in 2026.
Created for viewers who enjoy wildlife documentary style content, lion sanctuary stories, big cat conservation, and Kevin Richardson’s unique bond with lions. It is also a strong choice for animal lovers, nature fans, and anyone searching for lion videos, wildlife commentary, and emotional conservation storytelling.
There are playful enrichment walks, lions charging through the water, Bobcat and Gabby sharing a special moment with Kevin, and a powerful discussion about lion poaching in the Greater Kruger National Park. The tribute to Bongani is especially emotional, honouring a true fighter after almost 22 years at the sanctuary. Kevin also reflects on the future of Lion Whisperer TV and the work ahead in 2026.
Created for viewers who enjoy wildlife documentary style content, lion sanctuary stories, big cat conservation, and Kevin Richardson’s unique bond with lions. It is also a strong choice for animal lovers, nature fans, and anyone searching for lion videos, wildlife commentary, and emotional conservation storytelling.
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AnimalsTranscript
00:01you are the best you are the best no wonder everyone loves you
00:10hey everyone subscribers members pride leaders and those of you who are new to
00:17the channel welcome today's video is basically going to be 2025 in review
00:242025 what can i say it was a challenging year yeah a year that flew by many highs but equally
00:33as many lows we lost a few friends along the way so yeah guys today's video is a selection of
00:41those
00:41memories those that are near and dear to me unfortunately can't fit them all in because
00:46there were so many but i hope you enjoy the ones that i've picked for you so all the all
00:53the best
00:53and enjoy today's video promising that they both have seen the van and they are moving towards the van
01:02very promising the race to get in i don't think i'm gonna get the key done in time
01:14oh my girlie okay back back back back back
01:22hello my girl hello my girl hello hello my sweetie pa
01:31yeah everyone slowed down in their old age but you still are so loving yes she's still loving my
01:39little girl my little baby you know that hey meggy okay how are you buddy how's it my boy come
01:48yeah okay guys so
01:51what is this exciting news i have and yeah i'm very happy to announce uh super proud to announce that
02:00uh we have a short film coming up uh starring both myself and the marvelous bobcat um
02:13and the film is called the last lion um it's a short film that explores the possibility
02:19of these magnificent animals going extinct
02:27i still hold hope and regrow as you sleep i watch over you and pray
02:32that the next today brings with her grace with me
02:41if the last lion could speak what i think he would say is what's wrong with you people the world
02:49was
02:50absolutely imbalance and then you came along and you messed it up fundamentally
02:58if we take any animal out of the ecosystem it has an impact the only animal that if we take
03:08out of the
03:09ecosystem the ecosystem will thrive is humans
03:32it has an impact the only animal out of the ecosystem will thrive is it going to change in my
03:36lifetime i have seen a
03:40change of heart in the way the youth react to wildlife and animals
03:55how bright must i make my sun till you see that only your future burns if you burn me but
04:02still i have hope
04:07look at nej paws in the water doesn't really care here he comes this is amazing beautiful footage
04:24so
04:33uh
04:47Oh my hat! Did you see that? I mean he's cuckoo! Poor old Nege! Wow! Fun, well not in the
04:58sun but in the grass
05:04Hello my boy! Hello my boy! Hello my boy! Yeah he came to show some love. We have Jabari doing
05:23her roly-polies. We have Indy, Thorey, Negey. Okay Loli is still causing trouble with the
05:33hyenas but Charlie is just behind those bushes there. So that's everyone. Happy as Larry.
05:53Happy as Larry.
05:57Bye bye!
05:59Bye bye.
06:29hello monster you can't bulldoze me like that my boy you've become such a
06:35bulldozer hey you two are such bulldozers yes my boy oh yeah come let's go come come boys come boy
06:50what are you doing i'm in a lion sandwich here come come ah come georgie come
06:55no time for mucking around mind the fence come let's go he's done nutters
07:05oh yeah yeah yeah yeah come let's go
08:02yesterday yum you're a crazy
08:05cat no man no you're mad
08:12nah nicely
08:22oh my goodness george is digging
08:27hard to be
08:44these cats are mad
08:50oh my goodness mad but it's fun trying to get the other camera on
09:13oh man i'm touching on the water here guys
09:26so
09:31so
09:32so
09:32Let's go.
10:02Let's go.
10:32Let's go.
11:02Let's just keep the higher ground here.
11:05All those two crazy cats just run through the water like it's nothing.
11:12It is so wet.
11:15But he's having fun.
11:19Let's see if we can keep up with them.
11:34There's no way I can get through here.
11:36I'm going to have to go around.
11:39I'm already drenched.
11:47Come on boys.
11:50Let's go.
11:51Let's go.
12:04Let's go.
12:05Let's go.
12:26Let's go.
12:28Slowly.
12:30George.
12:40Come on.
12:42Let's go.
13:05Let's go.
13:11Let's go.
13:26Let's go.
13:28Let's go.
13:52You are soaking my boy.
14:20Let's go.
14:23Let's go.
14:31Stop it you two.
14:34You are crazy.
14:35No.
14:36Stop it.
14:41This water has made you two nuts.
14:45It's tired.
14:52It's tired.
15:05Biting his tail.
15:07You horrible thing.
15:10Did you enjoy the walk?
15:11Hey.
15:13Bobcat.
15:15Hello my boy.
15:20Did you enjoy your walk?
15:22Hmm.
15:25Yeah.
15:26It was a nice walk.
15:28I thoroughly enjoyed it today.
15:30You know that.
15:39After the walk, we can just take our time waiting for our ride.
15:45I can check all his claws.
15:48He's a lot more chilled.
15:50You can feel.
15:52Just give him a good thorough looking over.
15:58Making sure that he's in tip-top health.
16:01Besides his back area that we are going to be sorting out with one of Peter's magical routines or regimes.
16:12Hey.
16:13We're going to make all of that so much better for you my boy.
16:18Hey.
16:20You are the best.
16:21You are the best.
16:22No wonder everyone loves you.
16:24Everyone loves Bobcat.
16:27Who doesn't love Bobcat?
16:29Hey.
16:29I think the hyenas don't love Bobcat.
16:33Everyone else does.
16:35All right.
16:37Gabby.
16:39Gabalicious.
16:41Hey.
16:42What are you doing?
16:45One of my favourite pastimes is after having walked with these beautiful guys and then just
16:56chilling with them.
16:57It's really awesome and normally in silence.
17:00So I'm going to just zip the lip and enjoy the moment.
17:19Hello my boy.
17:21Hello my boy.
17:25I'm angry.
17:26I'm actually shaking.
17:29I'm happy.
17:33I'm happy.
17:35I'm happy.
17:36Hello guys.
17:37Oh.
17:38Where are we going?
17:42Wow.
17:54What a stunning morning to go for a walk with these two beautiful souls.
18:00really the weather is absolutely perfect well good morning guys good morning good morning good
18:06morning we are out and about on an enrichment walk with Vyessi and Ginny who many of you will know
18:14coming up 16 years of age in fact I think they are 16 years of age so getting on in
18:22terms of
18:23lion ages and yeah both both are doing well Ginny's full of beans as always running ahead and Vyessi
18:36is on a Vyessi mission but today guys today's video is going to be a little different I
18:43I was going to talk on a different topic but then driving in here today I got a message a
18:55message
18:55from a guy who my foundation is associated with it it's a guy named Derek Derek van der Merwe those
19:07of
19:07you who follow me will probably recognize the name and he's head of the carnivore conservation program
19:14at the EWT the Endangered Wildlife Trust so guys this this is very important this topic
19:21and I was thinking yeah here I am going on a walk with Vyessi and Ginny and they live a
19:29pretty
19:29sheltered protected safe life and there's always this conflict in my in my mind about you know the
19:39fact that they live a life that's safe versus the fact that they should actually be roaming the wilderness
19:49yep they should be roaming the wilderness Vyessi should be in a perfect world with the pride
19:57of lionesses who would typically have cubs maybe Vyessi would have a coalition
20:05brother or friend that he you know had tenure over the pride with there she goes
20:15nice I need to come back and get a a print of that but um yeah so there's that conflict
20:23guys about
20:24the fact that these lions should be roaming free and wild versus the fact that they actually live a
20:30a sheltered comfortable life here in captivity and it obviously my take on it is I'd prefer to see them
20:38out about in the wild but and this is what brings me to the point of discussion today is I
20:46received this
20:46call just um well this message rather telling us about some more lions that had been slaughtered
20:54up in the greater Kruger National Park area and then some really gruesome pictures followed
21:04it just makes me super super angry and incensed and I thought let me take this opportunity I know how
21:10passionate you guys are about by Etsy and Ginny um yeah I really consider them lucky ones uh but
21:20we need to do more I felt so I pivoted and I'm gonna you know kind of go off piste
21:30here and
21:32you know just raise a few topics and talk about this whole issue that's facing
21:37lions and other animals in the greater Kruger National Park which is basically our you know flagship
21:44natural wilderness area here in South Africa it's considered to be uh you know almost
21:52in inverted commas completely natural system but currently uh yeah there is a upsurge in poaching yeah boy
22:04yeah yeah yeah oh there's an upsurge in poaching guys and uh it's really decimating animals over in the
22:13in the the the the northern parts of the park um and it's it's a it's a horrible thing it's
22:22a horrible
22:22death we'll get into it um it's this whole snare poaching that's going on it's running rampant it's it's
22:29it's a scourge um angry i'm i'm actually shaking
22:38oh
23:01hi guys so today we're going to be saying goodbye to a true warrior that lived here at the sanctuary
23:09Bongani and for almost 22 years he carried himself with strength with courage and he had such a gentle
23:21spirit from overcoming near death uh near death battles to standing tall and roaring down to
23:30like literally his last breath he embodied resilience uh he embodied grace Bongani was just an absolute
23:39fighter and uh this tribute is a celebration of his life um it's a celebration of the the fight that
23:46he had
23:47and it's a celebration of the love that he gave us all it's hot my boy yeah very hot
24:21oh he's very tired okay
24:27it's been such a good uh uh not no claws buddy oh his favorite his favorite warthog burrows
24:39crazy what you doing today right good morning everyone uh today we're going to be taking
24:46Karn out for a well-deserved enrichment walk if Duke wants to come along for the ride he's more than
24:53welcome
24:53um as many of you will know Duke is not fond of moving about so we respect that
25:00and we just leave him be um Karn you ready cool and as always i have George
25:09Magic George and he's here with me to help me um as ever i do need help and um yeah
25:19there's no one better
25:20equipped to do it than old George okay hello boy
25:29have you been naughty have you been naughty yeah you've been naughty i can see you've been naughty
25:35chewing the fence he's a fence chewer and you mister are you not coming today eh no you know it's
25:46happening
25:51where are you going where are you going are you coming are you coming are you coming oh you don't
26:01want to come hey you don't want to come you don't want to come i think you're gonna have to
26:08chuck him a
26:09piece there Georgie he's eager beaver to go today and as you can see Duke not interested
26:23okay so Duke's interested in food but not in traveling come Connie
26:31oh and then I think I'll travel in the back with Karn George I'll travel in the back with him
26:37here we go
26:42and luck that is in nicely
26:56come come guys yeah yeah
27:09yeah
27:14like the Pied Piper
27:19yeah
27:29yeah
27:30yeah
27:38Magui
27:40oolah
27:40Ohía
27:41Maigui
27:42Maigui
27:48ohía
27:54O nossoía
27:59Mande
28:00forfor
28:00a
28:27You are working better, my boy.
28:30You are working better, my boy.
29:00Yes, yes, yes, yes.
29:03Yes.
29:13Yes.
29:18Yes.
29:19Yes.
29:22Yes.
29:23Iki.
29:25Iki.
29:27Iki.
29:28Come, come, come.
29:30Let's go.
29:32Come! Come, George! Come!
29:37Come!
29:55Maggie, come!
30:01Yeah
30:13Alright guys, so how was that? I hope you enjoyed today's video
30:17Thanks as always for the support during 2025
30:22Sadly we had to say goodbye to a few of our furry friends
30:25Like Sudra and Bongani
30:27But that is par for the course as the animals are getting on in age
30:33But guys, 2026
30:35I'm looking really forward to it
30:37There's some many exciting things on the horizon
30:40Including a new project that I'm working on
30:43And if you're interested in how you can support my work further
30:47Then please do go and look at the memberships
30:49Because not only does memberships allow you to have access to special videos
30:57Made exclusively for you
30:59But it also allows you to be part of that community
31:03Really, really well worth it
31:05And the memberships also goes towards supporting the work that we do here at the Sanctuary
31:11And of course, my foundation
31:13So, go and check it out
31:15And all that's left to say
31:17Is here's wishing you a healthy and prosperous new year
31:21All the best for 2026
31:23Here is to wonderful things ahead
31:25Cheers
31:35Cheers
31:37Cheers
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