Lions, tigers become problem pets in the Gulf

Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- On a dusty day in the northern-most Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, 40-year-old Jasim Ali wrestles playfully with his four-legged friend Teymour over a chew toy. But Teymour is not a dog -- he's a fully-grown African lion.

"There is a special language, I can say, between him and I," said Ali.

Ali rescued Teymour from a farm where, he says, he was a neglected pet.

"I treated him differently than how he had been treated before. So, a love story began between us. He would only eat if he saw me there. If I wasn't there, you would feel he was upset. He would wait for me."       More Read