How close is too close? Lions in Zimbabwe ...

[MickT]

Hey guys second instalment on the South Africa/ Zimbabwe holiday in 2010

A great little tour that you can take is walking through the bush with lion cubs. Now, if you were like me I was thinking little buggers that you could roll around and maybe get a scratch ... not quite!!! They were a fair bit bigger than I was expecting, and with no leads etc they were free to run around and catch some lunch if it happened to pass by. (One other tourist I spoke to said they witnessed a kill on the same tour a few days earlier)

It's not all that dangerous though, they give everyone a stick just in case the "cubs" get a little restless :)

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This is me and the missus. One one the guides takes pictures for you ... over 30 shots but managed to get a couple in focus :)

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If you want to see more about the walk, have a look at this link. Awesome experience and one that I will never forget.
http://www.afrizim.com/activities/victoria_falls/Lion_Walk.asp

[angel]

OMG!!!!!! i want to go!!!! that looks AMAZING, i have always wanted to go to a reserve type place and see them in the wild...

cubs...? they look like full grown (lioness size anyway) lol... i could imagine peoples faces when they give them a 'stick' in case the cubs get frisky hahaha, the stick looks quite 'small' to fend of a lion. i am loving that last pic especially..

do you have more piccies?

[MickT]

OMG!!!!!! i want to go!!!! that looks AMAZING, i have always wanted to go to a reserve type place and see them in the wild...

cubs...? they look like full grown (lioness size anyway) lol... i could imagine peoples faces when they give them a 'stick' in case the cubs get frisky hahaha, the stick looks quite 'small' to fend of a lion. i am loving that last pic especially..

do you have more piccies?

hey Angel, thanks for dropping by:) That last one is one of my favorites too, i got in a bit of trouble of the guides though 'cause i crouched down low and you are not supposed to that. Something about the lines jumping on you ...

It really was an awesome experience. If you ever get a chance to go, make sure you do it. These were (obviously) really close and while Kruger was fantastic, it is harder to get really nice shots as you are not allowed out of the car for obvious reasons.

I have hundreds more photo's and will add some more as I process them. (Even though I am just doing a little cropping and levels, it still takes ages)

[loose cannon]

Cub? Cub!?!

That ain't no cub. :unsure:

A cub is something you bend down to pat not lift your arm up to place on a low section of it's back.:o:o

[angel]

Cub? Cub!?!

That ain't no cub. :unsure:

A cub is something you bend down to pat not lift your arm up to place on a low section of it's back.:o:o

haha my thoughts exactly.. if thats the cub, id hate to see the parents LOL


kool, cant wait to see your other piccies when they are finished.

[LJG]

Catch some lunch as it passes by, yeh, right! Lunch is walking along with them!!! That really puts new meaning to the phrase bring your own lunch along doesn't it Mick!! Bloody hell mate, I would have been quaking in my boots!

[Art Vandelay]

Awesome, love the photos and looking forward to more. A trip over there is on my very short list to do in the next couple of years.
Thanks.

[timmo]

awesome images Mick...dunno if I could as trusting as you and the missus were.
cheers
tim

[tanz]

Excellent photo's, what an amazing experience!!

[twistednoodle]

OMG a trip of a life time! Great photos!!! Sooooooooooooooo jealous!

[Jcas]

what an awesome experience that would be, thanks for sharing .. :)

[MickT]

Thanks for all the comments everyone, I really appreciate it. I have to admit that going through these photos is stirring me up to go back again too ... might have to chat to the missus about that :)

I thought this one would show that not everyone was not that confident in getting too close. When the lion yawned, I thought she was going to faint :bounce:

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Lunch??

[Scottymc]

This is soo amazing. I would love to get up close and personal. The only problem with me is i would probably get too upclose and personal and get the chomp haha. Atleast id would die feeding something haha!

[MickT]

This is soo amazing. I would love to get up close and personal. The only problem with me is i would probably get too upclose and personal and get the chomp haha. Atleast id would die feeding something haha!

Cheers scotty. Mate, you would love it for sure. This was an absolute highlight in my life for me. Earlier this year we went to Thailand and got up close with the tigers, but it was nothing like this. In Thailand they were on chains and basically all you got to do was sit with them for a photo. Sure, some of the photos are ok, but you don;t get the thrill of walking through the bush hoping some poor antelope will happen along :)

[MickT]

I wasn't going to post anymore photos but I really like these two. Man, I still have the rest of Zimbabwe, Cape Town, Robin Island and the drive down the cape to go, i think i will need another holiday to get over it all :D

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I really like this one
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[MickT]

Sorry, just came across this one and have to share.

We were about an hour into the walk and this was the first gun that I saw. Obviously, i thought it was to protect us form the lions and mentioned that to the ranger with the rifle. "No Sir" he says, "there have been sightings of crocodiles recently in the creek you are about to cross and we need to keep an eye out for them". :D

Ahhhh, Africa I love you so.


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[Scottymc]

Man is there somewhere i can view your complete collection? god i hope i get the chance to do this one day

[Seesee]

This is realy amazing and the images are very well taken too, some great compositions there......I'd be asking for a bigger stick, maybe one like the fellow has in the last shot

[loose cannon]

Fantastic images Mick!

I'm with Col, I'd want the stick that goes bang.

[angel]

love the last lion one as well.. one of my fave animals are tigers, the other half wants to go to Thailand next year, where abouts are the tigers? but yes i can imagine how much more for filling it would be to be one with the lions....

i want to see the whole trip photos as well LOL

[millicat]

Amazing photos .. I have some catching up to do I see .. I would LOVE to do this sort of thing. I love the big cats and of course my domestic cats .. You and your 'missus' are VERY LUCKY to have experienced this .. -

[Brown Dog]

Mrs BD and I are trying to decide on where we should go on our next big holiday...I think if I show her these, a trip to see the lions will be top of the list :)

Great images and thanks for sharing


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[MickT]

Thanks Guys. I am working on my website, and will likely put most of them up there once i am happy enough with it to share ...

Angel, the tigers are outside Bangkok. We did a tour that took in the Tiger Temple and the Bridge over River Kwai. I loved Thailand and would go back in a heartbeat, but it is such a big world and i don't really want to go to the same place twice :)

Having said that, i have been tossing around going back to Africa and taking a group of people who would like to do what we did. We volunteered in a program that helps women to open childcare centers in settlement towns (very underprivileged areas). We built playground equipment, painted, built furniture and played with the kids. The most rewarding thing i have ever done in my life. We did that for two weeks and then went and done tourist thing.

Glad everyone likes the photos, I might try and find some time over the weekend to start up a Thailand thread :)