Justin Bieber wants to adopt a lion.
The 22-year-old singer met millionaire businessman and animal lover Alex Haditaghi before his concert in Toronto on Wednesday (18.05.16) and was introduced to the entrepreneur’s rare white cub and instantly fell in love with the creature.
Alex said: "I was amazed how great he was with animals — how caring he was."
He went on to explain how the ‘Sorry’ hitmaker is keen to stay in the animal’s life.
He told the New York Daily News newspaper’s Confidenti@l column: "We still haven’t figured out if it’s an adoption or sponsorship."
The 38-year-old businessman is hoping to open a "1,000 to 2,000 acre" animal sanctuary in either Florida, Arizona, or Canada by the end of the year and thinks Justin would be a great spokesperson.
The lion – which is currently being called Alex but Justin wants to name him Simba, in honour of the main character in Disney movie ‘The Lion King’ – will reside in the sanctuary but its founder wants him to tour with the creature and talk to his fans about wildlife preservation.
Just a few weeks ago, the ‘What Do You Mean’ singer came under fire when he posted photos of himself petting a Bengal tiger at his father Jeremy Bieber and his partner Chelsea Rebelo’s engagement party.
And Alex admitted that his five-hour meeting this week changed his opinion of the pop star.
He said: "If someone had told me I would have a kid like Justin two weeks ago — I would have killed myself. Today I’m a big fan of his."
A spokesperson for the ‘Believe’ hitmaker declined to comment on Alex’s claims.
Justin is said to be on a "spiritual mission" as he had "an epiphany" recently, which led him to believe that he needs to reconnect with religion and nature and during days off from his ‘Purpose’ world tour he has been spotted meditating in parks and enjoying some solo strolls.
A source said: "He believes nature and religion – not concert venues and nightclubs – should become his life priorities."
Justin Bieber wants a lion
