It could be straight out of Disney hit The Lion King but this lion cub and meerkat cuddling up to each other is real. Meet the real-life Simba and Timon.
The loveable duo have been best chums since new-born lioness Zinzi was rescued by being taken into the home of zoo and safari ranch owner Marcell Tournier, 33, after its mother rejected her.
Just like cartoon character Simba – the lion cub hero of Disney classic The Lion King – young Zinzi was also separated from her family and incredibly formed and bond with a wandering meerkat.
In another incredible real-life parallel, meerkat Bob acts like the movie character Timon as a drifter. The cheeky critter only comes to Marcell’s when he feels like it and enjoys free meals.
Marcell added: ‘Bob seems to have a “Hakuna Matata” problem-free philosophy and taught Zinzi how to relax.’
Zinzi was brought in at just one day old when Marcell realised her mother was refusing to feed her – a harsh reality of nature that could have meant the end of adorable Zinzi.
But almost as soon as the lion had moved in to the home, near Sun City, South Africa, Marcell quickly realised he wasn’t Zinzi’s only fan.
Lively two-year-old Meerkat instantly took a shine to his new playmate.
Best of friends: The unlikely duo became inseparable after they met when Zinzi was just one day old and have remained firm friends ever since
Playmates: Meerkats can be very aggressive but two-year-old Bob is laid-back and is something of a celebrity at Predator World Zoo and Game Farm
‘Meerkats can be very aggressive but he’s really cool’, said Marcell. ‘He’s got loads of friends around here who he goes and sees every day. He plays with the hyenas and other animals and they don’t mind him.
‘He pretty much runs the whole farm,’ he joked.
Bob’s runs the sprawling Predator World Zoo and Game Farm, which covers 1,000 hectares in the country’s north-west.
It is home to over 36 species of animal including leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, snakes and birds.
Little and large: Bob the meerkat makes a break for it from beneath a blanket as Zinzi the lion cub looks on