The two lionesses actually remembered her!

Malkia and Adelle were lions cubs who were rejected by their mother and later handed over to a big cat rescue centre in Slovakia.

Both of their parents were used in circus performances across the Eastern European province.

Both cubs were raised by humans in place of their parents and they get very excited upon seeing their ‘godmother’, Michaela Zimanova, for the first time in weeks. The lionesses’ reactions were also recorded in a video, capturing the moment.

Both cats ran towards the gate and stood on their hind legs to greet Zimanova. They even wrapped their paws around her neck and hugged her in delight. Zimanova visits Malkia Park in Slovakia at least 3 times a month to see them and she is one of the only 3 people who are allowed to have such close contact with the animals.

“Zimanova comes to see them at least three times a month. We never play with them as they are dangerous animals but we do respect their mood, and only let them cuddle us whenever they want. It always takes only a few minutes based on what you see on the video, sometimes even lesser. Then they continue running around and playing with each other. At 4 years old, Malkia is a little bit different as she is more wild, so we need to be more aware when we are around her,” a spokesman said.

In the video, Zimanova can be heard saying: ‘Ajoh zlatíčka, bambulky’, which translates to ‘Hello darlings’ in English to her two favorite big cats.

The pair of lionesses, who are each 3 and 4 years old, were originally given to the park by a private owner after their parents decided not to look after them. The Big Cats Rescue Centre in Slovakia specializes in taking care of such abandoned and needy animals.

Watch this touching scene below!

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