Pictures : Woman keeps an adult LION as a pet in her house

Animal lover Annel Snyman and her pet cat Timba exemplify the incredible bond that can grow between man and beast.

But Timba is no ordinary house cat. He’s a hulking house lion that can polish of 9lbs of raw meat a day and could bite off her head any time he liked.

But Timba is really a big softie, and loves nothing more than to cuddle up to Annel on the sofa of their home in the Waterburg region of South Africa.

Timba, who is one year and six months old, also enjoys going for walks with Annel’s six-year-old dog, Diesel and ‘helping out’ with everyday chores around the house.

And as these remarkable pictures show, Annel has now formed an incredible bond with the 120kg lion, after adopting him as a cub in March last year.

The 31-year-old, who lives in the Waterberg region of South Africa, just outside Bela-Bela, said she loved her unconventional pet. She said: ‘Family and friends have all had to adjust to the occasional tackle by a large cat while visiting.

Best fiends: As these remarkable pictures show, Annel has now formed an incredible bond with the 120kg lion, after adopting him as a cub in March last year..