Daniel and Our Cats is a British documentary film produced and directed by Julika Kennaway which tells the story of a married couple in Namibia who owned two leopards and a lion before they were cruelly taken away.
The documentary originally aired in the UK on Animal Planet on 25 December, 2007. It is 48 minutes long.
Daniel and Our Cats aired in South Africa on DStv's Animal Planet on Sunday 23 March 2008, at 20h00.
Repeat
Monday 24 March: 02h40
Synopsis
This award-winning documentary film tells the fateful story of Catherine, a French woman who travelled to Namibia in search of Africa’s big cats.
In the midst of the desert she married Daniel, known locally as ‘the lion man’. Fascinated by his extraordinary ways with animals, Catherine lived an unusual and idyllic life in the remote Namibian hills with two leopards, a black-maned lion and her new husband.
One fateful night everything she loved was snatched away. Daniel, Catherine and their cats were on their way to a film shoot when their cats were confiscated by the authorities at the Namibia/South Africa border. Without the right paperwork they stood no chance with the authorities.
Daniel was imprisoned and the cats taken to a secret location. Following Daniel's eventual release, viewers watch as he and Catherine are forced to start a new life in South Africa.
When Daniel is finally able to track his cats down in Namibia, incredible footage shows the reunion between him and cats, as all three cats remember Daniel, highlighting their unique bond.
But as Daniel begins the long journey home to Catherine and his lawyers in a desperate attempt to reclaim his cats, yet another tragedy befalls them all.
Daniel and our Cats is a personal, true story of love, loss and healing, told in Catherine’s own words.