by I was on a business trip to Johannesburg, staying in the clean, safe, but uninspiring Sandton area, and impatient for my two weeks to be up so I could take my holiday in Kruger. As an interim measure, and for something to do on my own on my day off, I decided to hit Sandtown’s only real tourist attraction, the Lion Park. I was amazed by what I found…
The modest-looking lion park hides a wealth of incredible experiences. I arrived just as two tiny white tiger cubs were due their milk, and their keeper let me in to their enclosure to help referee the ensuing fight for milk bottles. The wriggling, mewling cubs were the most adorable kittens I’d ever seen, though they’re not what makes the lion park so special.
The park features four prides of lions of various ages, and actively rescues cubs orphaned by hunting and takes in older lions used for film and TV. They have a program with the Born Free foundation which helps to equip young lions with survival skills and releases them to protected areas in established groups to better their chances.
Those orphaned cubs being reared by hand form the park’s main attraction. If it’s not too busy, and if you’re game (no pun intended!), keepers will allow you into the enclosure with 3- and 4-month-old lion cubs. They are boisterous, scratchy, bitey and hilarious and, if you don’t mind a little nibble here and there, the best experience you will have outside of the big game parks.
I spent around 15 minutes wrestling with cubs and being clambered over, licked and investigated, and they had to drag me out in the end! With a spare afternoon in Jo’burg, I don’t know a more fun excursion.
Comments
Skipper01 says...
Its a great experience and priviledge to be allowed to interact with big cats (before they get to big!) There is a similar Cheeta rescue centre down on the Cape at a vinyard ( sorry cant remember name) where you are allowed in with these magnificent animals - they were my favourite of all the cats when I lived in Kenya so jumped at the chance to visit the Cheeta centre and also have a great lunch at the visitor centre in the vinyard. Well worth the trip if you are into this kind of "close encounter"
Years ago I was asked to visit my ship's mascot in Nairobi game park orphanage - a young leopard cub - well not so young as it happened! I turned up and was asked into the enclosure to get up close and personal with "Chui" who turned out to be the size of a small labrador and just as friendly.
Under the interested gaze of about fifty Kenyan schoolchildren and the increasingly concerned eyes of my wife, "Chui" got more and more playful. I called time when, with two forepaws planted firmly on my butt, "Chui" decided to "chew" on the front of my shorts to my wife's horror. I manfully stood my ground, hands firmly planted in my pockets protecting myself from Chui's investigating jaws until the keeper enticed him away onto his favourite toy - an old car tyre swinging on a rope. Thus I saved not only my face in front of a by now admiring crowd of "Watoto" but also a very close friend!
Posted 456 days ago.
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