Thanks to theriomorph, I’ve watched this video several times already—and I cry each time I do.  And I mean tears of joy, tears of heartwarming splendor, tears of recognition.

For you see, what this video demonstrates is undeniable love.  Sure, it’s between a lion and his human parents, but it’s love nonetheless, and it’s so undeniable as to be fantastically insane.  Anyone who thinks animals don’t have feelings need only watch this lion.

From the video’s description:

So these two people raised this lion cub who they named Christian, and sadly he got too big for them to take care of so they decided to release him to live as a wild lion. Well, in this footage, a year has passed and it looks like Christian’s adapted to living with a pride of lions when his old friends come back to visit him. Watch closely and you can see the look of pure disbelief that dawns on his muzzle- it’s awesome. ^_^ Next thing you know, we have a heart warming reunion. Not long after, members of Christian’s pride approach and even they seem to accept Christian’s human friends.

There is no sound with the video.  It’s not needed anyway.  Just watch it.

And I continue weeping each time I see it.  I can’t help it.  My tears begin at the moment of pure recognition, at that tiny fraction of time when Christian understands he’s not imagining things, when that gleeful sprint begins carrying him to the most joyful reunion of his life. . .

That, poppets, is love, magical, primal, overwhelming, indisputable love, the only thing capable of making the killer a child again, of making the master predator want nothing more than to bathe in the most fantastic emotional bond he’s ever known.