My last stop in South Africa before heading back stateside was to the Lion Park, located between Johannesburg and Pretoria. By this point, I’d already been on safari and got to see the Big Five in their natural habitat, but I was still excited to see more of the same types of animals. Honestly though, I think I was most excited about the prospect of petting baby lion cubs (pictured below)!
The Lion Park is a sanctuary for important breeds of South African animals, including giraffes, lions, zebras, ostriches, meerkats, and more. The grounds are pretty large, and you can drive through a variety of different areas to see all of the different animals. I happened to be there when it was feeding time for the lions, so that was pretty interesting to see. (Also, if blood grosses you out, I apologize that some of the photos are kind of graphic.)
After my drive around the park, I parked and started on foot through other sections of the park, where I saw giraffes, cheetahs, and the best part–baby lion cubs. The line was pretty long to meet the cubs, but it went rather quickly and was worth the wait to play with these cute little guys. There were a few that were just totally passed out on a little rock pile, and two who were awake and alert. They only let a few people into the cub area at a time, which means that you don’t have to fight too many people to get to them, but there were still more people than I would’ve liked. You sort of only had a chance to pet them, snap a photo, and move on.
I thought the Lion Park was a really fun time, so long as you go into it knowing that it’s at all similar to a safari experience. It’s amazing to see all of these animals in one place, but the experience gets a bit ruined when you’re snapping photos of lions and getting every other car in the shot. Also, some people just sort of sat and waited for things to happen, which held things up for those of us who were behind them. At some points, it became difficult to see the animals because there were so many cars. If you’re looking for an authentic safari-like time, this is absolutely not for you. If you want to see a lot of amazing animals in a concentrated area, want to pet some lion cubs, and want a more family-oriented experience, Lion Park is for you.
I leave you to the rest of the photos!
My only experience with a live lion was at a zoo once, and when the male lion roared I remember the ground shook like an earthquake. The ringing in my ears left me realizing how a lion’s roar can stun it’s prey into submission. Truly the king of beasts.
JR Riel recently posted..Visiting a Traditional Village in Viti Levu, Fiji
Oh wow! That’s crazy, JR! I bet that was a really interesting experience though! :)
Aww, look at the sweet babies. Yes, even the ones with the blood on their faces. Good tip on how this may not be the best place for some people wanting a more real safari experience. Still fun that you got to pet lion cubs.
Kimmy @ AfterGlobe recently posted..Prepare to Travel with Wanderlusters
Yeah, it was still a lot of fun even if it wasn’t an authentic safari experience. And the cubs were so cute I wanted to scream!
Would love to see this! Really enjoyed the read. Great photos!
Meagan @ Life Outside of Texas recently posted..Say WHAT?! Wednesday
Thanks, Meagan!
I love that Fabio hairdo on that last male lion. It looks so perfectly coiffed yet effortless…
Jill recently posted..Underwater Wild Wadi
Haha, I’m so glad you said that! I refer to him as Fabio every time I show that photo to someone. It cracks me up!
Hi Megan – as a new reader to your blog I though I’d just jump in and leave a quick comment here to say I’ve been reading a few posts and enjoying them a whole lot. Thanks! Shaun
Shaun Hoobler recently posted..family survival course review
Thanks so much, Shaun! Always good to hear that people enjoy. :)
Hi Megan,
That’s a lovely Lion park. Here in India, we have Ranthanbore and Corbett national parks which has plenty of tigers to watch. They safeguard their breeding and assist for the survival of tiger species. Really a eye-candy to watch the beauty of nature.
Thanks for the tip, Gautham! I’ll have to check those out when I finally make my way to India! :)
Loins are known as king of forests and specially African loins are amazing . There we can find so many species of loins . The national parks and forests of Africa have many more animals in it to reserve biodiversity .