According to a comment by Bob K. “I think the happiness and love this man obviously experiences by interacting with these big cats, overwhelms his sense of fear about the possible consequences, and I can’t help being reminded of the sad and unfortunate story about Timothy Treadwell (The Grizzly Man). Timothy had a great love and passion for grizzly bears, and for years spent weeks in a remote part of Alaska interacting, naming, talking to them and even touching them at times.
Unfortunately for him and his girlfriend — who accompanied him on his last visit of the year — both wound up being eaten alive by one of the bears he loved so much. But this lion guy said himself: “I know they could kill me”. So obviously what he gets out of the interaction is worth a great deal more to him than his life. Personally, I wouldn’t attempt such a thing; there’s a good reason they’re referred to as “wildlife”.”