After we had signed up to participate in the "Lion Encounter", George made the mistake of reading the State Department advisory on this particular activity. My personal opinion is never, ever read the advisories because then you'll never want to travel anywhere. According to the State Department a woman was mauled by a lion at an encounter near Victoria Falls....hmm. Do I look nervous?
These lions were trained to be submissive to humans. Right now they are about 18 months old. Soon they will figure out that the humans carry a very small stick and really are not that dominate....and then they will be released into a very large but protected area where they will hopefully produce cubs. These cubs will not come in contact with humans and it is hoped they will be able to be released into the wild. The lion population in Africa is declining. The lions from the "Lion Encounter" will help stop the decline.
I loved watching them play. In every way, except for their size, they are like kittens rolling around, licking and touching each other.
After a bit of instruction we were allowed to pet them. We were told to talk to them as we approached so as not to startle them. Never approach from the front as that is considered aggressive and above all don't be nervous. "Hello Miss Lion. I'm about to touch you and I AM NOT NERVOUS"
See those small sticks we were carrying. If a lion started looking at us in a 'naughty manner' we were supposed to point the stick at him and in a firm voice say, "No, stop that." What exactly is a 'naughty manner' you might wonder, well so did we. This lion is ok. He's not naughty.
This one is sizing me up for her dinner. Normally a lion looks like he is about half asleep but when their eyes are wide open and staring, you could be in trouble. I think this pretty girl was just enjoying having her picture taken.
I love this photo. Camera and I pads, one lion and one small stick to keep him under control for the paparrezzi!
Quite a fun 'walk on the wild side'!
You are so BRAVE!! What an experience! I especially love the last photo...lol
ReplyDeleteWow what an experience! I think I would be too scared to be that close to a lion let alone pet one!
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