In all my years in Africa I never expected to have the privilege of walking with real lions in the bush. At Victoria Falls the Lion Encounter allows you to do just this. ALERT (African Lion & Environmental Research Trust) have a unique programme, where lions are born and raised in captivity until a certain age, with the objective of eventually releasing them into the wild in prides, to increase the dwindling lion population in Africa. In the meantime, these hand reared wild lions give travellers the opportunity to enjoy a mindblowing, unique interaction with them in natural habitat. It is, however, quite an unerving experience to set off into the bush with your guide and suddenly be joined by a couple of lions bounding along with you! Our feline walking companions were only 8 months old, but you should have seen the size of their feet!
This remarkable venture enables people like you and me to make physical contact with these fabulous big cats at an early stage in their lives. A truly awesome experience! Once the lions reach 18 months old, they are transferred to a holding area of a minimum of 500 acres and left to their own devices. They learn how to hunt and are supplied with food "on the hoof". They are also grouped into prides, so that ultimately they can be released into the wild as a self sufficient family, able to hunt and fend for themselves.
On the walk the lions constantly stop and lie down (cat nap time?), giving you ample opportunity to get up close and personal, stroke them (I even pulled one's tail - VERY gently!) and the photographic opportunities are amazing. One of the crew videos the whole experience, which is then edited and you can buy the DVD at the end of the day to remind you of this encounter for posterity. The crew that accompany you also take pictures with your own camera so you can focus on the interaction with the lions, and are indeed encouraged to do so.
I have always loved cats and have been privileged on a couple of occasions to interact with Cheetahs (my personal favourites). I never expected to be able to walk with lions and this was a most unexpected pleasure. The best was that, at the end of the tour, when our small group were enjoying beers and snacks, the other tour group returned and two 14 month old lions bounded (literally) into camp and we were able to meet these bigger beasts as well. I am now the proud owner of a picture most people will probably think is digitally rigged, but it is really, genuinely me - touching a living, breathing lion!
The ALERT programme has recently been extended to Livingstone so that, whichever side of the Falls you are staying, you can enjoy this awesome lion experience for yourself very conveniently. To anyone visiting Victoria Falls I would highly recommend the Lion Encounter. It's a unique experience that you'll treasure and remember forever.
Author Resource:-
Jacquie Stafford has lived in Africa for over 40 years and has a passion for travel and wildlife. She now designs personalised tours to some of Africa's most exciting destinations. For more insights on safari life visit her website - http://www.kunjani.co.za
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