Walking with Lions!

Sometimes in life we do something that in retrospect we realize was a “once in a lifetime adventure.” Such was our 2016 adventure when we went Walking with the Lions! Earlier, our daughter visited us in Africa a year earlier. On

Waking with Lions - Petting wild lions in Zambia — Petting WILD lions in Zambia.

that visit we escorted her around Johannesburg as well as Kruger National Park in northern South Africa. Her stated goal for this specific visit was to visit Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. When we visited Victoria Falls two years earlier, we drove a day from Lusaka to Livingstone. In 2016 we flew directly to Livingstone from OR Tambo Airport in Joburg. We arranged the flight to arrive early in the day in order to have sufficient time at the falls and still be there just one night.

The day after our falls visit, we had a half day free before our return flight to Johannesburg. My daughter had heard about “Walking with the lions,” so she encouraged us to see if it was feasible. Secretly, I was hoping that it would not be possible because it just sounded so downright scary! Yet, early the next morning my husband was able to connect with the company that leads these walks. Oh, dear! There was room and time for the three of us to enjoy this adventure. Book your trip!

When we arrived for the walk, the three of us were the only ones scheduled, Literally, we were on a private family adventure. What a special treat! The lead handler explained that for the next two hours we would be walking with two wild lions—a brother and sister, both 21 months old.

Instructions from the Lion Handler:

To begin with, the handler each of us a long stick. He calmed our fears by stating that in hundreds of such walks there had never been an incident. The handler explained that we could touch and pet the lions but to always walk beside or behind.

Since lion hides are 8 times thicker than human skin, he encouraged us to stroke the lions with a VERY firm stroke. If they are stroked lightly like one would stroke a cat, it tickles, and they will turn around and want to play. The stick was to put in their mouth if this happened. You can see by the pictures and video that these were two large lions with enormous heads and paws. So, we were all very obedient to his instructions.

Altogether this Walk with the Lions was one of the most stimulating and wondrous experiences of my life. It was absolutely spectacular. There are several places in different African countries that offer this feature. Although it’s not possible to guarantee that you will have such an out of body experience as we did, I can guarantee that you will be delighted beyond all measure. Try a Walk with the Lions; you’ll love it, and you will NEVER forget it!