Most things by now had already been ticked off my ‘to do list’. There was only one more place I really wanted to visit and that was the Lion Park situated on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Narelle, Ron, Claire, Nat, Aaron, Santina and I needed a great way to unwind, away from the Nicol Hotel and Bedfordview so this was a perfect choice. Not only did I get my wish of seeing the king of the jungle in the flesh and up close, I also had the opportunity of playing with the Lion cubs. We also saw a white Lion, Hyena, Cheetah and Meer cat. The Lion cubs lazed on a bed of rocks and grass while we patted them only opening their eyes briefly if someone patted them close to head or tail. To get one particular cubs attention I gave him a gentle pinch in the stomach area and subsequently almost had my hand taken off! It was the fastest I have ever moved I think with reflex actions even Cesar, Casillas, and Buffon would be proud of. It was kind of worth it as it allowed us to take some pictures with the cubs open eyed and bushy tailed. Then it was on to the game reserve and a visit to a large pride. The male Lion was flanked by approximately twenty lionesses and it was clear who was boss. At one point ‘Mufasa’ stood up and even though we were behind glass in our bus, we all took a step back to appreciate the massive creature. It was a rare sight as Lions are mostly inactive for the majority of the day and mostly active between the hours between night fall and dusk.
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