A great safari adventure.

Many dream of an African safari but it can be expensive if you are cash strapped. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money going on a safari, then I suggest a visit to the Lion and Safari Park in Randburg. The park offers a variety of tours where you can see lions, wild dogs, antelope, albino lions, and cheetahs. It is an amazing experience and a lot of fun for children.

What can you see at the Lion Park?

The following tours are currently available at the park:

• Guided Lion and Wild dog tours;
• Same as above but this tour takes place at night and you can witness the feeding;
• Safari tour where you can see all the animals in the park;
• Cheetah walk and interaction tour;
• Feeding giraffes and other animals;
• Lion cub interaction;
• Play area for children:
• Restaurants.

Visiting the lion park and your safety.

A couple of years ago the park had a tragic accident where a man got  killed by one of the lions. The park relocated and safety measures are put in place. You are no longer allowed to drive through the enclosure with your own vehicle. Guided safari tours are now the only option. Safari tours range from 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/2 hours.

Safety is of utmost importance and tourists are transported in a big, steel caged trucks. It is safe for children and they cannot fall out of the truck. You drive literally right past the lions. Guides are informative and give interesting facts during the safari.

Before the incident, the public could see the lions fed. Feeding times are now restricted to the public.

I visited the park a couple of times and animals are not always the guilty party. Unfortunately, in cases like these, they get killed.

A beautiful and rare Albino Lion in South Africa

A large male lion walking between the cars.

Feeding time for the lions in the old park when it was still allowed.

Andrey standing close to a giraffe.

Andrey touching a small lion cub. He loved it!

A playful white lion cub biting his pants.

Animal welfare and rights at the Park.

Animal right activists will immediately jump to the defense of the animals and say that it is unethical, appalling and exploitative. Do not pet lions or breed them for commercial purposes. There are two sides to the coin. The wildlife in South Africa will be on the brink of extinction in 20 years from now. That is due to poaching and other factors. It is my personal opinion that the animals in the Randburg park, cannot compare to animals in a zoo. They have large areas to roam free, protected and taken care off. I don’t think any animal lover would like to see a repeat of Cecil the Lion.

When my husband visited South Africa for the first time in 2007, I took him to this park. At that time we could drive through the park and see the lions fed. The most memorable part for him was the lion cubs. You can get up close and personal and touch them. They were not drugged and accustomed to people. Once bigger, they get moved in with the older lions. It is a strict and controlled program that offers only the best for the animals. In the end, I suppose we are all entitled to our own opinions.

Nothing can beat a genuine safari where you can see the animals in their natural environment. The best place is to go to the Kruger National Park. If you want to pet lion cubs and have interactions with cheetahs, then visit the Lion and Safari Park.