he is playing with fire, albeit very fucken impressive, wow.
A wild animal's behavior is based purely on instinct. They are essentially programmed as to how they behave. We are too to a large extent but we have a moral sense and can often step outside ourselves and examine and speculate on what motivates our behavior.
A male lion's primarily role is to fight and procreate. They don't even hunt. Just eat, fuck and fight (when they have to). It takes a certain "disposition" to survive as a lion. You can teach a lion "tricks" for lack of a better word. Jump through hoops, put your head in it's mouth, make them sit and shake hands and even not eat you; but it's basic character, it's instinct, never changes. They are still a lion. And one mistake, one bad moved that sets them off or confuses them, once they haven't eaten in days and are starving and only thinking about food; then that will probably that fellas' last day on this earth.
But he says that even if he is killed by a lion he would still do it over again. Fair enough. You pays your money and takes your choice.