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A LION
IN LONDON
By CAMILLA BEACH
. Christian the lion cub hasn't eaten anyone yet. In
fact, he hasn't even tried. Living in the heart of swinging
London with his Australian owners, John Rendait and
Anthony Bourke, he's apparently quite happy with his
four large daily meals of ox cheek, crushed bone meal,
porridge, vitamins, baby foods, and eggs.
THE CASSEROLE is a swinging
restaurant in the Kings Road.
Christian enjoys a favorite meal
spareribs-with a friend, model
Emma Breeze. Picture at right.
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JOHN and Anthony
say that keeping lion
cub Christian, nine
months old and ten
stone in weight, in their
flat in the Kings Road,
Chelsea, works out pretty
expensive.
Particularly when you
take into account the 250
guineas (about $A-570) the
two bachelors paid for him.
And Christian's annual insur-
ance premium of £120
(about $256), £60 ($A.128)
for life insurance, and
another £60 for third-party
liability.
"He's got a 'no claim'
bonus," said John, from
Bathurst, N.S.W., 23, and,
coincidentally, born under
the zodiac sign of Leo.
Coincidental, too, is the
name of the shop in, under,
and over which Christian
lives. It's called Sophisto
cat.
Sophisto-cat is a smart
furniture shop at the World's
End that sells stripped pine.
John and Anthony are the
managers, and Christian
their best advertisement.
Passersby usually stop
and stare at the growing
lion cub. Others venture in
for a close look, and often
buy furniture.
And some are so terrified
of the gentle lion cub that
they cross to the other side
of the street.
Australian actor George
Lazenby, of the brave, brave
Bond fame, drove up once
with a girlfriend and refused
point-blank to leave the
car, much less enter the
shop with her.
He was caution itself.
Lazenby is not the only
celebrity to take a passing
interest - be it fearful -
in Christian.
Mia Farrow comes in
weekly to play games with
him, and Diana Rigg is a
friend; and so are Bill
Travers and has wife, Vir-
ginia McKenna, who starred
in "Born Free," and who
are now making a docu-
mentary him about Christian.
Its opening sequence shows
Bill Travers coming into the
shop in search of furniture
and being told the boys had
"something he might like to
scc.'r That was another true
life coincidence.
Intermediate scenes will
illustrate how to keep a lion
in the jungle of London; and
ultimately, perhaps, they
hope the fadeout will show
Christian being freed in
Africa.
Christian is not such a
professional actor as the
lioness who played Elsa in
"Born Free." Just before
filming began, his owners
were whitewashing the shop
walls, and Christian tipped
over the paint pot and rolled
in it.
John and Anthony, who
comes from Newcastle,
N.S.W., shared a flat in Syd-
ney before setting out to see
the world. Anthony's route
took him through Moscow,
John's through Beirut, and
the two met accidentally in
London.
A camel!
Sightseeing one day, they
decided to visit Harrods, the
world-famous Knightsbridge
department store.
"We had heard of the zoo
at Harrods - a friend had
bought a camel there-so we
went along for a look and
found Christian, caged
between an anteater and a
boa constrictor," John told
me.
"He was the first lion cub '
we'd ever seen, and he
looked so small and affec-
tionate, just like a golden
labrador.
"We stroked him for a
while, admired him, and
then discussed the possibili-
ties of buying him.
"And we talked about the
challenge it would be and
the enormous responsibility
of owning a lion, before ask-
ing the price."
Two hundred and fifty
guineas was the price tag for
the little fourth-generation
English lion cub, born at
Ilfracombe Zoo, in Devon.
But the salesman stipu-
lated they must thoroughly
research lion habits, and
how to keep them domestic-
ally, before Harrods would
even consider selling him.
And this they did, first
visiting English lion experts
like the Marquess of Bath,
who has a lion safari park
in the grounds of his stately
home, "Longleat."
And then preparing Chris-
tian a room at Sophisto-cat,
installing sufficient heating,
and making arrangements
for his exercise in the next
door Moravian Churchyard,
which was once part of Sir
Thomas More's farm.
With this groundwork
complete, plus getting
tetanus injections just in case
the cub scratched them,
John and Anthony returned
to Harrods, cheque in hand,
and walked out carrying
Christian, then just one foot
long.
That was two days before
Christmas.
Christian settled in well.
And was so much at home
by Christmas Day that hr
was impolite enough to
devour a large teddy bear
his owners gave him as a
present. He also ate most of
their presents, too.
John and Anthony learned
through experience that
the harder toys last longer:
chairs on which Christian
jumps and spins round:
pieces of wood, a hammer,
wastepaper baskets, plastic
buckets, an old mattress, and
a football.
"There are great com-
mercial possibilities in manu-
facturing indestructible lion
toys," John said, tongue in
cheek.
John is really another of
Christian's toys. The two
play together, rolling round
the floor, biting and butting,
often with John's head
firmly but affectionately
clamped between Christian's
huge paws.
Another playmate of Chris-
tian's is actress Unity Jones
who appeared in Fellini's
"Juliet of the Spirits."
She keeps her lion ir
Naples, and while in London
visits Christian every after
noon.
Christian likes best to pla]
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OUT FOR A DRIVE. Chris-
tian can be trusted not to
damage John's car. He
likes an outing and, with
cat-like curiosity, watches
other motorists keenly.
John is seen, at right
of picture. Anthony left.
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HAIR TRIM for Christian at
Todds, exclusive London
men's hairdressers, left.
Manager Mark Tracey
trims Christian's mane.

CHRISTIAN stalks
through the furniture in
Chelsea interior design
studio, managed by Sydney
designer Maria Bentivoglio.

WHAT AN ALLEY-CAT!
Christian, below, takes a
walk with John Rendait, in
the fur coat, and Anthony
Bourke, in a man's midi.

- Pictures by Devek Cattani

with his football in the

churchyard. Especially in
winter, when he runs and
skids on the snow.

He had two other animal

friends, Margo, a puma, and
Gus, a retriever, but he has
got too big for them now.

Growing about 51b. a week,

he measures about six feet

long and three feet tall.

John and Anthony used to
exercise him on a lead, walk-
ing him down the Kings
Road, but he has grown out
of that, too.

He doesn't like it much.

Too many people stop and
stare, or want to pat him, and
it makes him nervous.

It makes John and
Anthony a bit nervous, too.

"We shouldn't be really,"
John said. "He's been with
humans since birth and is
very gentle and good
natured. He's got no unpre-
dictable moods.

"And when he's tired or

bored he lets us know by
baring his teeth and claws.

"But accidents could

happen. Even though he
wouldn't mean to hurt any-
one, he just might.

"For instance, when the
Mayoress of Chelsea came in
one day and bent over to
stroke his head her chain of
office swung round her neck
and Christian couldn't resist
taking a big swipe at it.

"The chain whirled round
her neck and almost choked
her."

Jelly babies

The Mayoress took the
incident in good humor. Not

so a woman who came into

the shop with jelly babies
for the "bear," and was most
upset to discover that not
only was Christian a lion but
he didn't like jelly babies.

The doorman at the British

Broadcasting Corporation's
London headquarters also
questioned Christian's iden-
tity when he went with his
owners to the studios for a
radio broadcast.

" 'Ere, we don't even let
dogs in the building, much
less that, that . . ." he chal-
lenged.

The split-second pause
allowed Christian time to
pass, and he shot the door-
man a reproachful look.

'We decided to allow a

few photographers to take
pictures and for Christian to
do just a few advertise-
ments," John said.

"We don't want to capi-
talise on him, but he costs us
about £10 (ÇA.21.40) a week
and we want to get that
money back, if we can, by
allowing him a few jobs."

He has publicised the shop,

been interviewed for the

radio (he refused to give any
comment), and among adver-
tisements did one selling
nighties.

He was pictured lying on
a bed with a pretty girl in
a nightie and the caption
read: "Nights on the wild
side."

Understandably, Christian
didn't enjoy that much. It's
a bit humiliating when
you're supposed to be King
of the Jungle.

But will Christian ever
have the chance to explore
the jungles over which lions
are supposed to rule? Will
he remain in captivity all

his life?

"We hope to rehabilitate
him in Africa this year,"
John said. "And I don't

think it will be too difficult
for him.

"His natural instincts are

all apparent. He drags
blankets as he would a kill,
stalks between the furniture

as he would stalk game, and
even in play he bites you
on the back of the neck,
which is how lions kill.

"1 really don't think we
could ever put him in a zoo.
He has had too much
human contact and too much
personal freedom - no
restrictions at all since he
left Harrods.

"He has never been
chained or caged with us,
except when we walk him

on a lead."

Only if they fail to have
him set free in Africa will
the two friends even con-
sider giving him to an
English game park. And,
when they do part from
him, it will be a hard
separation.

But all along they have
been thinking of Christian.
And, though he was born in
captivity, they want to see
him Living Free.

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