Hey tumblr zoologists, does anyone know whether there's a plausible theory as to why, out of all the big cats, lions somewhere along the line decided "ooh wouldn't it be cool in evolutionary terms if our tails had pompoms on the end?"
A reminder to be EXTREMELY wary of ANY photos of wild animals in seemingly domesticated spaces with free contact to humans and other animals.
Even if they were "rescued" from a fur farm/factory/contact zoo/hunting trap and "cant be released into the wild"
Even if they're "tamed"
Even if the place they come from has legal ownership (Eastern Europe/Asia/Middle East)
Even if they're "pampered" and "well cared for"
Even if its cute
Even if its popular on Tiktok/Instagram
Even if its small/"harmless"
Even if the owner is utterly clueless to the danger
Even if the animal has "never had any problems before"
You are not able to meet every single need a wild animal has in a domesticated household. You cannot meet their dietary needs, you cannot meet their exercise needs, you cannot train out their behavior, you cannot tame down their instincts. Don't share these pictures or follow these accounts, their "owners" are only keeping these animals for internet fame.