
Sirga the Lion and Valentine Gruener on Instagram.
Little lioness Sirga was discovered when she was only a few days old. Born in a rehabilitation camp, her mother couldn't defend her cubs and all her siblings were killed by other lions.
To make matters worse, Sirga’s mother refused to feed her.
But then Sirga found Valentine Gruener, co-founder of the Modisa Wildlife Project. In an interview with NBC News, Gruener revealed he chose the name “Sirga” after a 1993 french film “L’enfant lion.”
The name couldn’t have been more perfect. For Sirga was clearly destined to become a star.
Their claim to fame...
@sirgathelioness Sirga doesn‘t understand the concept of social distancing. Luckily, she doesn‘t have to. ##tiktokwildlifeday
♬ Oh No I Hope I Don't Fall... - IndieHay
Sirga and Gruener’s most viral video shows the gentle giant giving the biggest, sweetest, most exuberant greeting to her caretaker. You know when big dogs don't realize how massive they are? Yeah, it’s like that.
“Sirga doesn’t understand the concept of social distancing,“ the video’s caption reads.
This video currently has close to 195,000 likes, and received a massive amount of positive reactions:
"She’s soooo happy to see you and love up on you."
"So beautiful!!! Love your relationship with such a powerful and amazing girl."
"I want a big cat hug!"
Since rising to social media stardom, Gruener and Sirga have racked up quite a few amazing TikToks. Below are some of the highlights:
Teeth brushing (hard with big cats and little cats alike)
@sirgathelioness The teeth in the back of a lions jaw act like scissors, they’ll cut through flesh and bones with ease. Sirga knows when to be gentle though 😉 ##wildlife
♬ original sound - Val Gruener & Sirga
Sirga cleans off her canines with a small stick, although Gruener admits that it's more for entertainment than it is hygiene.
Massive toe beans
@sirgathelioness Reply to @otterlyvirgo lion claws are shaped like hooks. Deadly weapons with which they pull down large prey like antelope or buffalo
♬ original sound - Val Gruener & Sirga
Those are certainly some impressive murder mittens.
Some cool hunting POVS
@sirgathelioness Hey @GoPro can you send new gear?😬🥲 ##wildlife
♬ Marlboro Nights - Lonely God
Sirga does her own hunting on the reserve, which is six times larger than Central Park in New York City.
…and hunting fails
@sirgathelioness The poor guy had no clue 😅 ##wildlife
♬ original sound - Val Gruener & Sirga
Jackal: 1. Sirga: 0.
But hey, you win some, you lose some.
Plus a heartwarming look at then vs. now
@sirgathelioness Happy Birthday big girl! We‘ve come a long way 👣🐾 ##animalsoftiktok ##lioness
♬ original sound - Val Gruener & Sirga
It's pretty endearing to see their bond grow over 10 years.
Gruener even uses the platform to answer some common questions, such as:
Would Sirga protect Gruener?
@sirgathelioness Reply to @anactualpinecone Probably the most asked question about Sirga and me. Here you go!
♬ original sound - Val Gruener & Sirga
Camera operators, beware.
Does she interact with anyone else?
@sirgathelioness Reply to @sean_n17 let me know if you have any questions regarding Sirga in the comments! Cheers, Val
♬ original sound - Val Gruener & Sirga
No, the trained professional is the only person who interacts with the lovable, yet all the same predatory animal.
Why not let her back into the wild?
@sirgathelioness By hand-raising Sirga I made a commitment to care for her as long as she lives. The risks of her being killed (or she being a threat to people/livestock) in the wild is just too big. ##lionsoftiktok
♬ Stories 2 - Danilo Stankovic
Basically, the risks of being in the wild far outweigh the potential benefits.
Why does she wear a tracking collar?
@sirgathelioness Reply to @ericsaltzman42 a lot going on at the moment so we haven‘t found the time to post on TikTok! Thank you if you‘re still here 😉🙌
♬ original sound - Val Gruener & Sirga
Again, this is a safety measure. Mainly against poachers and in case Sirga gets out.
How much does it cost to feed her?
@sirgathelioness Happy to answer your questions. Feel free to leave your question about Sirga, me or my life in the comments. ##sirgathelioness
♬ original sound - Val Gruener & Sirga
Answer: around $500 a month. That's a whole lotta meat.
Has Sirga met other lions?
@sirgathelioness Reply to @hetpatel4620 happy to answer your questions! ##sirgathelioness
♬ original sound - Val Gruener & Sirga
Yes! Though the fence has been a boundary. Sirga would at first shy away from her initial lion visitor, but then they ended up sleeping side by side. Sadly the lion visitors have since passed away (or, even more tragic, were possibly poached). But the plan is for Sirga to eventually have her own lion partner at Modisa.
Can lions be pets? (this one seems obvious)
@sirgathelioness Predators are not pets! Sirga has 2000ha of wild Kalahari where she lives and hunts. If you have any questions drop them in comments!
♬ original sound - Val Gruener & Sirga
Repeat after me: "Predators are not pets."
Actually Gruener brings up a point here that applies to most pets: that you should be committed to the animals full life span if you're going to take care of one.
Gruener also shared that he hopes their story promotes awareness for wildlife and nature conservation, rather than using big pets for fleeting entertainment.
Gruener and Sirga are helping to spread information about the importance of protecting precious wildlife. If you’re looking to help support them, and get the lion’s share of premium content, you can join their Patreon membership here.
May we all find someone who looks at us the way these two look at each other.
- The biggest circus lion rescue of its kind just happened, and it was ... ›
- What most people have missed about the poaching of Cecil the lion ... ›
- 18 nature photos that didn't turn out as planned. Can you spot the ... ›
- Lions and tigers were freed from circuses and moved to wildlife sanctuaries - Upworthy ›
- Woman saves crayfish and keeps it as a pet - Upworthy ›
- Texas woman fends off snake and hawk attack simultaneously - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."