A lion let loose; a lion on the loose!

It was neither Simba nor Mufasa! Not even the daring Shamba that recently gave its owner a ‘love bite’ posed much harm compared to the black, fit, erratic, adorable-yet-scary animal that had decided to grab the bull by its horns and face the world heads on...

Different news channels reported the story as headline news live on TV, while newspapers and radio stations had the news covered on their front pages and current affairs respectively!

The exposé of this news sent shivers down the spines of more than 50 million nationals (and tourists, of course) and, although some had no absolute reason to fear the dangerous species, no one had enough courage to declare their own safety, especially with the lion’s whereabouts unknown. At this point in time, even the hunters have become the hunted.

You know, it is one thing visiting the game reserve to watch on the lions and other wild animals from a good distance, but then it’s a different story altogether when you get to learn that the lion has been let loose... that the lion is now free! Oh! And that you have to literally run for your own life in case you come across it!

It’s still unknown if the wildcat was let off by negligent park guards, or whether someone was bribed by someone else as per a norm in this country lately, or the lion simply got ‘off the hook’ the same way prisoners escape penitentiaries so effortlessly. Whatever may have been the case, as a matter of fact, no one really cares about the ‘how?’ part, as hundreds of millions of eyebrows were raised by the wake of this news!

Farm owners across, along with their employees are the most vulnerable and exposed, but then believe you me even mineworkers, general workers, taxi drivers, street vendors etc. in the skwatta camps of Germiston, Tembisa and every other part of Gauteng remain also anxious and nervous for their lives.

Although they may have not been privileged enough to watch the headline news in the comfort of their homes as those in the better-developed places due to lack of electricity (or even solar power); they, too, got the news as hot and fresh as Amagwinya sold in the early hours of the morning at the taxi ranks and in the Metrorail trains on the front page of Daily Sun and other daily newspapers on their way to work and instantly engaged on the news with other commuters.

Now back to the lion... described as a male, weighing at just above average size and black in colour. Like many others that may have remained caged and confined (so to say), it has been in there its whole life. And, as a natural hunter itself, it is bound to victimize whatever that may try to temper with its hustles.

The lion had been caged for far too long now... and being restrained to limited vicinities for too long can be quite depressing. It’s like serving prison time for a crime you never committed. Growing up; the so-called king of the jungle experienced many traumatic moments, e.g. its mom being taken away while it was still just a small cub.

It has also witnessed many others around him escaping the zoo, only to be returned back a few days/weeks later. So, the motives were clear from the onset. Firstly; to ensure a smooth escape, seek for greener pastures, and lastly; to live to the fullest while out there (because you’ll never know who’s watching), or even when you might be tracked down and go back to your little cage... or even die, you naïve predator!

Living to the fullest means creating as many great memories as possible! Thus, identifying between fake and true friends is also very much necessary. There is less time to complain about the system and more time live by its own rules. For the young, vulnerable lion; this was a rehabilitation process for all the trauma and past experiences.

Be warned, once more! The lion is on the loose! Although one cannot predict the future; the lion personified is heading towards a brighter future. It’s not a prediction but a prophecy! It’s a journey to self- rediscovery. Having previously learnt all about life; it’s now all about unlearning it all and re-learning life overall, rebuilding all the burnt bridges, and most importantly, to get rid of all the negative energies in one’s life.

It’s time for building newer relations, exploring, creating memories afresh, allowing the dead to rest and putting oneself and one’s family before everything and everyone else. It’s time to change the world! And, if by chance it’s true that curiosity really killed a cat; it definitely wasn’t a lion...