Lion Heart How a Lifelong Love of Big Cats Led to an Incredible Lion Rescue

About this book

Lion Heart is the bold and uplifting memoir of Cam Whitnall, a man whose life has been defined by extraordinary bonds with wildlife and a dramatic warzone rescue that brought five lions to safety in the UK.

The Whitnall story began in 1984, when Cam's grandparents visited the dilapidated Broxbourne Zoo, once known as the worst zoo in the UK, and made the decision to trade in their business and rebuild it from the ground up.

Cam grew up on those grounds, in a bedroom overlooking the tiger enclosure. His childhood playground was full of lions, tigers and snow leopards, where he and his brothers played hide-and-seek after hours and even hand-reared a lion cub called Zara inside their family home. Under the guidance of their grandparents, Cam, Aaron and Tyler developed an unshakeable dedication to protecting the planet's most threatened species.

In 2024, as Director of The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, Cam made global headlines for leading a high-risk rescue mission of five abandoned lions from war-torn Ukraine. Changing their fate, he formed an unbreakable bond with Yuna, Vanda, Rori, Amani and Lira, and gave the lions the freedom to walk on grass for the very first time.

Customer Reviews

Biography

Cam Whitnall grew up in a family-run zoo in Hertfordshire, sharing his childhood home with big cats and threatened species from around the world. Alongside his two brothers, he became a familiar face on CBBC's One Zoo Three, inspiring millions of young viewers with behind-the-scenes stories of wildlife conservation. His photography for Nikon and social media work have further amplified his mission, reaching a global audience.

Cam is now Director of The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, a globally recognised centre for big-cat conservation. Drawing on years of dedicated work with wildlife, he combines expertise, strong values around animal welfare, and a drive to create real change. Today, he is a powerful voice in the conservation world.

In 2024, he made international headlines for rescuing five lions from war-torn Ukraine and creating a safe place for their rehabilitation at the sanctuary, a mission few believed was possible.