The Pride of a Lion: What the Animal Kingdom Can Teach Us About Survival, Fear and Family

by Ron Magill, Greg Cote

“To millions of people in Miami and beyond, Ron Magill is the face and voice of all things’ wildlife.” ─ Mireya Mayor , PhD and  National Geographic Explorer #1 New Release in Biology of Cats, Lions & Tigers Discover the true and incredible survival story of K’wasi, the lion cub who overcame unimaginable odds             Magnificently documented by wildlife expert Ron Magill.  K’wasi’s story is told by world renowned wildlife photographer and Zoo Miami’s “Goodwill Ambassador”, Ron Magill who documented and photographed every stage of K’wasi’s remarkable roller coaster life. Join Ron and his half-a-century career as he helps us all understand the life lessons the animal kingdom has for us. A survival story of grit and resilience.  The story of K’wasi the lion cub is one of heartbreak and triumph. He was born to Asha at Zoo Miami in late 2013 and captured the heart of the nation as an incredibly cute lion cub. K’wasi was orphaned in March 2014 when his mother tragically died. K’wasi’s remarkable journey takes him from the untimely death of his mother to magnificent star of Lion Country Safari. Animals have feelings too.  Society has only recently accepted the incredible emotional intelligence of dogs, pigs, and chimpanzees. But through K’wasi’s remarkable story, Ron Magill details how evolved the animal kingdom truly is—lions in particular. Funny, engaging, touching, and thrilling,  The Pride of a Lion  teaches us about family, resilience, and the meaning of life. Inside If you are a fan of  The Lion King , or liked  The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life ,  The Soul of an Octopus , or  The Good Good Pig , you will love Ron Magill’s  The Pride of a Lion .

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Nature, Biography

184 pages, Hardcover

Published December 5, 2023

Reviews

[Papa Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story, kinda like a Velvet Buzzsaw.

I think the world needs a complete biography of Ron Magill. He's an incredible man who inspires people constantly by showing that being honest and passionate is always the right way.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dual biography. Ron McGill with the aid of his co-author juxtaposes his autobiography with the story of K’wasi, a lion cub that was born at Zoo Miami, where he works, and now resides at Lion Country Safari with his son. The book stresses how both overcame adversity to succeed.

The book emphasizes the positive aspects of their life stories, especially that of Ron McGill, and contains, few, if any, negative aspersions unless one considers calling out one’s employer for its failure to spend money on in-situ conservation projects while spending millions to construct new exhibits, and for agreeing to allow property that it owns housing endangered species to be used for a water park, negative.

Although aimed at zoo goers of all ages, this is really a story for young adults as aspects of the book are repetitive, and the writing is designed to ensure that anyone with an eighth grade education is able to read it.

Nevertheless it’s a quick, fun read which follows in the footsteps of popular books about zoos, the people who work there, and the animals residing in them written by William Bridges, Belle Benchley, and others between the 1920s and the 1950s.

[Angela Pimenta]

Desafio de verão do TBKC, Portugal

[Marcel · Rating 4 out of 5]

RON MAGILL MENTIONED ME IN THIS BOOK!!!
(I’m apart of the highschools he goes to…he didn’t actually mention me.. but its like those images of Earth and someone in the comments goes, “hey I didn’t ask for my selfie to be taken.” Its funny, so laugh. BUT ANYWHO! His presentation was basically a more descriptive telling of the story featured in this novel. He is just an amazing storyteller in person! His expressions are very vivid and his movements feels so ALIVE! His passion just emanates out of him!!! Its amazing! He is also funny and overall really friendly. When I entered the auditorium, I sat next to my friend and we were both SHOCKED by this dude’s height. He reminded me of a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not statue😭 My friend was brave enough to ask how tall he was and he so very kindly said he was 6’5! An example of how friendly he is! It was a sweet moment! And the presentation overall was just magnificent! Really a memorable experience! He has been doing these presentations for so damn long that I told my teacher he was coming and he remembers being in middle school when Ron Magill brought A DAMN FLORIDIA PANTHER TO HIS SCHOOL. WILD STUFF!!! I’m sure Ron Magill was around to bring a Dilophosaurus to an elementary school. 😭😭 Another very sweet moment was getting a signed copy of the book!!! I got one for my teacher,brother, and mother! My whole damn neighborhood got a signed copy of this book! (im joking but basically!) The book itself is a watered down version of the story he told! Obviously, because he would tell the story much better in person! He is just that guy! The most memorable part of the novel was him listing ways humans can learn from animals. From the democracy of Bees, to the greaving Elephants! It was all really insightful and Rob Magill is just an amazing person and I hope he continues doing what he’s doing!!! So very glad I got to see him in person! He is exactly like what is described in the book! He wears passion everyday!!! Extremely inspiring.

[Rebecca Enslein · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an animal-obsessed kid who grew up in Miami in the 90’s, MetroZoo was my heaven, and Ron Magill was my hero.

I went to summer camp there, took field trips there and loved every minute of it. I have so many childhood memories there, and also memories of the zoo as a part of the community.

Before COVID, my husband and I took a trip to Africa, to go on the safari we’d always dreamed of. While planning the trip, my husband reached out to Ron directly, who was a frequent guest on his favorite podcast, the Le Batard show.

Not only did Ron respond (which we didn’t really expect he would!) but he graciously provided wonderful direction on how to make a memorable safari trip.

He’s an outstanding human and conservationist and I loved reading this book, which tells both the story of Ron’s life and the life of K’wasi, a lion born at Zoo Miami who had many health struggles as a cub.

I really enjoyed reading about the trips Ron took to Africa and how powerful they were for him emotionally. The fact that he has created a foundation that helps animals in the wild is really special and helps demonstrate how much he cares about the preservation of so many beautiful species.

This book is a must read for any animal lover, but especially for people who want to look beyond the confines of a zoo and learn about what it means to care for and protect these animals in the wild.

I especially enjoyed the parallels between animal and human behavior that were presented throughout the book. They are so much like us, and when faced with the undeniable similarities, I hope more people will be inspired to help in their conservation efforts.

[Edwin Wilke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A feel good story about a lion’s survival story paralleled with the biography of wildlife TV star, conservationist, and Zoo Miami Communications Director, Ron Magill. I enjoyed learning more about Magill’s life and what it is like to work closely with animals professionally. Co-authored by Greg Cote, a Miami Herald columnist, this book reads as one long news column. This book repeats itself constantly and is written on a grade school level. K’Wasi’s story did not move past “he was sick as a kitten and then his mother died and then he was attacked by his adoptive father but then he lived happily ever after.” While the story was heartwarming, the content was not impactful enough to distract me from these flaws. Overall, a quick and okay read.

[Jim Poling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendous story front to back. Ron Magill should be an inspiration to anyone who knows anything about him. Truly a beautiful human being with an incredible passion for wildlife and nature. I would gladly and eagerly support anything of his and this book is no different. Ron and Greg put together an easy read that is well worth anyone’s time. Highly recommend

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Ron and Greg and happy to support their work. Going into it, I didn’t realize that it would be as much a biography on Ron’s life as it was K’wasi’s, if not more. Not a bad thing though, I was able to learn a few things about Ron I didn’t know. My only criticism is that the book was pretty repetitive at points. Other than that it was a good story and incredibly quick read.

[sheila r nix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This was one of the most well inspiring books I have read in a long time. Everyone needs to read this book so that they can gain
an understanding of how necessary it is for the human race to take care of the rest of the animal and pay attention to them. We all should be so grateful that Ron McGill followed his heart.

[Steve Eltinge · Rating 1 out of 5]

Magil seems like an honorable guy, especially with respect to our fellow species. That said, the book was a real snoozer. All those who read to appreciate well-written English will be disappointed.

[Greg Waddell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn't have read except it was a Christmas gift. It was just okay to me.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 5 purely because I like Ron and Greg.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What an amazing story of a lion and wildlife Angel !!!! And to think lions could be gone by 2050 breaks my heart