Leo the Pet Lion: a Local Celebrity in Iraq's Dohuk

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5 September 2019 10:30 WIB

A Kurdish man tries to pet and play with Leo, a 15-month old lion owned by Kurdish Sheikh Blend Mamoon, at a cafe in Duhok, Iraq. Blend Mamoon turns heads when he roams the streets of the city of Dohuk with his pet, a year-old lion who came into Mamoon's care when he was just a 20-day-old cub. REUTERS/Ari Jalal

5 September 2019 00:00 WIB

Kurdish Sheikh Blend Mamoon walks with Leo, his 15-month old lion, at his house garden in Duhok, Iraq. As a member of the Kurdish-American organisation to protect animals, Mamoon loves to save animals but saving the lion was his first involvement with wildlife. REUTERS/Ari Jalal

5 September 2019 00:00 WIB

Kurdish Sheikh Blend Mamoon kisses Leo, his 15-month old lion, at his house garden in Duhok, Iraq. The young cub needed treatment, which Mamoon provided for him after finding the animal in a local zoo owned by one of his friends. REUTERS/Ari Jalal

5 September 2019 00:00 WIB

Kurdish Sheikh Blend Mamoon gives water to Leo, his 15-month old lion, at his house garden in Duhok, Iraq. Today, the lion spends time resting in Mamoon's garden and playing there, much like a pet dog would. REUTERS/Ari Jalal

5 September 2019 00:00 WIB

Kurdish Sheikh Blend Mamoon (L) and his aide play with Leo, a 15-month old lion, at his house garden in Duhok, Iraq. Mamoon does not worry about the animal suddenly becoming violent or ferocious because he took it in as baby cub, feeding it milk and looking after it. REUTERS/Ari Jalal

5 September 2019 00:00 WIB

Leo, a 15-month old lion owned by Kurdish Sheikh Blend Mamoon, sits next to people at a cafe in Duhok, Iraq. And in every way, Mamoon treats the lion just like an ordinary pet, taking it to malls, cafes and markets, where many greet the animal with excitement and pose for pictures with it. REUTERS/Ari Jalal

5 September 2019 00:00 WIB