WATCH: Sedated Lion Wakes up, Everyone Scatters for Dear Life

By Bethanie H

Published

02/19/2025

Lanielle De Roubaix Hoy was part of a team that was immobilizing a male African lion to safely relocate it when the sedated lion suddenly woke up. When the massive animal awoke, the group collectively saw their lives flash before their eyes as they scattered in different directions. Thankfully, the lion was still pretty out of it. It briefly got up, stumbled forward a few steps, and then slumped back to the ground. Then someone had to go back to make sure he was really asleep the second time . . . any volunteers?

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“Did you know Lions and cats are sensitive to stimuli?” wrote De Roubaix Hoy in her viral TikTok post sharing the video from 2023. “They often wake up when there is a loud noise or when being moved! All the checks were done correctly on this lion before he was going to be loaded onto the trailer. Unfortunately the act of ‘picking him up’ to load onto the stretcher woke him, but as you can see in the end of the video he is still heavily sedated and went straight back to sleep! The scary part is [going] back in to make sure he is back to sleep.”

Watch as a sedated lion wakes up and freaks everyone out here:

@elle_thewild
Immoblizing a African Lion for relocation: Did you know Lions and cats are sensitive to stimuli? They often wake up when there is a loud noise or when being moved! All the checks were done correctly on this lion before he was going to be loaded onto the trailer. Unfortunately the act of “picking him up” to load onto the stretcher woke him, but as you can see in the end of the video he is still heavily sedated and went straight back to sleep! The scary part is goinf back in to make sure he is back to sleep🤣🙏🏼😴🦁

♬ The Lion Sleeps Tonight – Vittorio Fraja