This zoo owner is so passionate about lions that he’s daring to do the unbelievable. He has decided to spend five weeks in a cage with his lions. Alexander Pylyshenko has an entire plan as well – but you’d never believe what it is! You’ll be shocked at this zookeeper’s passion for lions and how far he goes to prove a point.

20. Zookeeper

Alexander Pylyshenko is the owner of a private zoo in the Zaporozhye, a region of Ukraine. The 40-year-old man has had a serious passion for lions throughout his entire life and has worked hard to be able to work with them.

19. New Challenge

Recently, Alexander has decided to undertake a new challenge. He recently announced that he will be doing something that no one else has dared to do before. So what is this challenge?

18. Five Weeks

Alexander has announced that he will spend five weeks in a lions den and partake in everything that a lion does. This includes sleeping around in hay and eating the meat that is fed to them through the bars…

17. Studying

Alexander has spent his entire life studying the lifestyle and habits of lions. Through his time in the den, he hopes to learn even more. So how does he plan on doing it?

16. Climbing In

The zoo owner’s plan is pretty straightforward and simple. He plans on climbing into the enclosure at his private zoo. There are even two particular lions that he will be bonding with throughout his time in the den.

15. Bonding

Pylyshenko will spend his time bonding with two lions in particular: Katya, an African lioness, and her male partner Samson. Katya is currently pregnant and will actually be giving birth during the time Alexander will be in the den.

14. Small Luxuries

Pylyshenko will not go without any luxuries. He has installed both a shower and a toilet inside of the enclosure. However, there are still many things that he will learn to do without…

13. Avoiding

There are a ton of luxuries that Alexander will, however, have to learn to do without. He will not allow himself to use any shampoo, deodorant, shower gels, beer, or cigarettes. The reasoning behind it will surprise you.

12. The Reason

There is actually a pretty good reason as to why Alexander will be avoiding particular luxuries. According to his studies, the lions actually really dislike the scent of all of these things.

11. Raising Money

Throughout his time in the den, Alexander hopes to raise money for charity. He also wants to show people how poorly lions that are kept in captivity are treated. So when does he plan to leave?

10. The Plan

Alexander wants to stay inside of the den long enough to see Katya give birth. He wants to be there throughout the process and help out as much as he can.

9. Pregnant

“One of the lions is pregnant, I plan to see the cubs being born, and spend some time with them but then I will move out,” he told the Austrian Times. In the meantime, Alexander has been getting himself accustomed to the conditions.

8. Getting Accustomed

Before starting on his plan, Alexander has been getting himself accustomed to the living conditions. He has been testing out the floors and spending some one-on-one time with the lions.

7. The Conditions

“The living conditions will be absolutely the same for the lions and me. We will sleep on wooden floorboards and have food given to us through bars,” he explained. Alexander will also be filming the entire experience.

6. Reality Show

“There will be four webcams planted in the cage. They will provide both experimental integrity and broadcast the ”reality show” on the internet,” he said.

5. Drawing Attention

Alexander really hopes that this stunt will draw more attention to lions. His passion is unparalleled and it is quite obvious that he cares about the lions so much. He has set his fundraising goal at 365,000 UAH (nearly $45,000).

4. Painting

While spending time in the den, Alexander will actually keep himself preoccupied through art and painting. He wants to paint beautiful portraits of the lions while he is in such close proximity to them. However, he won’t be keeping the paintings.

3. Selling Them

Alexander will actually be selling off the paintings. He will be doing this to help raise more money for the charity.

2. Brave Soul

It is certainly brave of Pylyshenko to confine himself to such close quarters with two lions, especially since one of them is pregnant. Lioness mother’s tend to be very protective of their young so it is definitely a risk and bold undertaking that Alexander is attempting to do.

1. Ukrainian Record

If Pylyshenko does spend the full five weeks in the den he will set the Ukrainian record for the most time spent in captivity with lions. It is truly an amazing feat if Alexander is able to complete this challenge.