Approaching a lion enclosure, a person might expect to see several things. Lions sleeping, lying in the sun, walking around, or even eating. Spectators hope to possibly hear a majestic roar from the king of jungle. It is safe to say, visitors would not expect to see a lion playing soccer, and not just playing with a soccer ball, but looking like he actually knows what he’s doing.
Triton is a full blooded male white lion that was hand raised in captivity in the Johannesburg Zoo in South Africa. He is between 10 and 11 years old and is housed in the carnivore area of the zoo.
Most lions are not very active and just lie around in the enclosure, and indeed, that is what Triton likes to do unless he is given the chance to play soccer.
Soccer seems to be what brings Triton to life and when a soccer ball is tossed into the enclosure, his response is immediate. He starts batting the ball around with his massive paws until it lands in the pond, at which point he actually dives in after it.
It takes him a couple of times to get it out of the water, but persistence pays off and he gets it back on land. Indeed, Triton the soccer playing lion, has some soccer skills.