I looked into this story a little more. It is quite amazing. These 2 guys bought the lion from Harrods Dept Store in London
in the 1960s. Can you believe that the store would sell an animal like that?
Anyway, after he got too big to live in their apartment, they took him to a preserve in Africa, where Christian, the lion, adapted quite well.
BUT--he never forgot those guys who raised him. It is a heartwarming story. I think there is a book for sale that tells the story too--check amazon.com.