He's my pride and joy: Pointer dog becomes unlikely stepfather to rare white lion cub born in captivity

By ALLAN HALL

Pride and joy: Pointer mongrel Lejon plays with the white lion cub Jojo in Stukenbrock, Germany

A mongrel dog has become stepfather to a rare white lion born in captivity in Germany but rejected shortly afterwards by his mother.
Pointer mix Lejon, two, and three-week-old lion cub Jojo are inseparable since meeting at the Safari Park in Stukenbrock in north-west Germany.
JoJo had to be separated at birth from his mother due to an infection on his bellybutton. But when carers tried to reunite them, she didn't want to know.

Pointer mongrel Lejon adopted the cub that had to be separated shortly after birth because of an infection of umbilical cord from its mother

'Now he gets fed by hand by me and gets the paternal affertion he needs from Lejon,' said park worker Jeanette Wurms.
'The dog is very patient. Jojo scrambles all over him, jumps on his head, bites his fur. But he doesn't mind - he's a very patient surrogate.'

Best of friends: Lejon, two, and three-week-old lion cub Jojo are inseparable since meeting at the Safari Park in Stukenbrock

Caretaker Jeannette Wurms, 36, cuddles up with Jojo

source: dailymail