Fascinating true story about the famous little Tyke

Summary

Key Points

• Little Tikeke was an African lioness raised in a California sanctuary in the 1950s by George and Margaret Westbow, alongside a lamb, a deer, and a swan, whom she considered friends. 0:10
• Despite veterinarians advising that she needed to eat meat to avoid severe illness, Little Tikeke, never taught to hunt, resisted all attempts to feed her animal products. 0:49
• Her carers were so concerned that they offered a $1000 reward for anyone who could entice her to eat meat, but no one was ever successful. 1:00
• She was so opposed to consuming meat that she reportedly refused milk with even a tiny amount of blood mixed into it. 1:19
• Little Tikeke's diet consisted of a double handful of cooked grains chosen for protein, roughage, fat, and calcium, along with half a gallon of milk and two eggs. 1:38
• To safeguard her dental health, she was given a gum boot sprinkled with her favorite perfume to play with, which lasted about a month. 1:47
• By the age of four, Little Tikeke was an impressive 10 feet 4 inches long and weighed 352 pounds, and was declared by one of America's most experienced zoo curators as the healthiest African lioness he had ever seen. 2:19
• Her guardians stopped worrying about veterinary claims, and Little Tikeke went on to become a healthy, happy, and successful television star, filmed playing with chicks, kittens, and a producer's daughter. 2:28
• The video notes that Little Tikeke is the most famous example, but other reports of healthy vegetarian African lionesses exist in literature. 2:47