ROAR!

Today we visited the Natal Lion Park, a park for rehabilitated lions (doesn’t it sound like they’re in a drug rehab program?!?).  The lions are fenced in and you drive your car inside the fence.  The instructions we were given were "keep you windows closed at all times and if a lion approaches your car continue driving slowly, do not stop".   An attendant let us in through the double gate and then we were in the lion park!

It was not that large of an area so we quickly spotted a lion and then another one and another one.  Wow!  That first glimpse of a lion is amazing.  They are so sleek and powerful.  The lions were not scared by our car.  Some came up to us, while another one was lying in the path and did not move.  We actually had to drive in the grass to get around her.   We first drove down a path that was a dead end and Dad had to back up.  Well, a male lion came over to inspect the car as we were backing up.  He smelled the bumper and then he was standing by the driver’s door.  He was so close that the side mirror actually brushed against him.  It is a little unsettling to have a very large male lion standing outside your car door.  We were just glad he didn’t take a bite out of the tire.  I don’t think the rental car insurance would cover lion damage!

Then we drove along another path and several lions were lying in the grass.  Just as we drove by we heard a ROAR!  My heart skipped a beat at the sound.  We thought we had upset the lion but there was an altercation between several lions and three of them took off chasing each other. 

In all we counted 11 lions. They are absolutely magnificent animals.

Miranda was not impressed by the lions.  In fact, she fell asleep while we were in the lion park!

As we left the grounds of the lion park we were startled by their lawn service….

Yes, there was a rhino eating the grass in the front yard (there was an attendant with him but we were rather surprised to see him).

Miranda was happy when we returned to Valley Lodge and took her for a swim in the pool.   She received an inflatable raft with her meal at the Wimpy Restaurant yesterday and she enjoyed floating on it in the pool.