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BY Novieku Babatunde Adeola, 4:00pm September 28, 2019,

Lions and tigers! 5 influential black personalities who have owned exotic animals as pets

by Novieku Babatunde Adeola, 4:00pm September 28, 2019,
Image result for haile selassie lion pets
Photo: The Times

Haile Selassie – Lion

In Ethiopia, a lion was usually not a lion. A lion represented the strength and pride of its people. Emperor Haile Selassie followed up on that tradition and owned what he called Royal lions – Mochuria and Mollua. These royal lions bore another which has become a symbol of the late emperor.

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Photo: Flickr

Named Challa, this pet is tagged the “Imperial Majesty, the king of the jungle”.

Image result for haile selassie lion pets
Photo: Flickr

Emperor Selassie maintained his practice of keeping pet lions. This practice is said to date thousands of years back to the Axumite period.

His love for lions is synonymous with the self-acclaimed name, “The Lion of Judah”.

Image result for haile selassie lion pets
Photo: Flickr

The descendants of the Royal Lions currently live in the Addis Ababa zoo.

Last Edited by:Victor Ativie Updated: September 28, 2020

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