MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Zoo Miami’s Goodwill Ambassador Ron Magill, a world-renowned animal expert and winning wildlife photographer, has written a new book that is already a top seller on Amazon.
For more than four decades, Zoo Miami has been Magill’s home and passion, and one animal truly captured his heart.
K’wasi, the first male cub born at the zoo.
“This was our own lion king. The father and uncle fighting to be with the mother. It was Scar and Simba, only we have K’wasi and Jabari. This was K’wasi’s family, you have the father and the uncle,” said Magill.
K’wasi’s journey is the focus of Ron’s first book, “The Pride of a Lion: What the Animal Kingdom Can T3each Us About Survival, Fear and Family.”
K’wasi’s early days were touch and go so when he was finally healthy enough to meet the public, it was emotional.
“People were crying, sobbing tears of happiness. It was a classic mother and son thing and we thought, what a happy story!” said Magill.
But that happiness didn’t last long. Only weeks later, K’wasi’s mother died unexpectedly.
The book detailing a rollercoaster of emotions, as K’wasi’s aunt began to raise the cub alongside her own little ones.
It’s a story with many parallels to our human world. Surviving hardships, overcoming fears and the bonds of family.
When K’wasi’s uncle attacked the young cub, his adoptive mother saved his life.
“Here is this massive king of the jungle, but the mother let him have it. He urinated al over himself and ran away with his tail between his legs,” said Magill.
The dramatic scene led to Magill’s favorite photo of all time.
“She gently took her paw and pulled him and held him as if she were saying, I will always protect you, and she did,” said Magill.
But the book is more than K’wasi’s story, it’s Magill’s tory too. HIs career paved the way for incredible adventures and celebrity connections. It wasn’t always an easy road, but it’s the one he hopes will inspire others to follow their dreams.
“A lesson I learned early in life and i think K’wasi did too, is that failure isn’t the opposite of success. It is the pathway to success. There are ups and downs, life is a rollercoaster, but at the end of the day, life is beautiful,” said Magill.
Magill and his co-writer Greg Cote from the Miami Herald will be doing a book signing at Zoo Miami on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 5:30 p.m.
For more information about how to purchase the book, click on this link.