IT’S Heritage Month and, with the holiday today, people are looking forward to a relaxing weekend.
So why not go for a true Mzansi experience – walking with lions!
The SunTeam joined tourism officials in North West on a walk with the kings of the jungle and came back alive.
The amazing experience, offered by Kudus Rus game lodge in Boshoek, near Rustenburg, takes tourists for walks with a pride of six lions for 45 minutes into the bush.
The big cats run among the humans, gently moving between tourists’ legs, rubbing their paws on them and investigating things along the way.
The tour starts with tourists feeding dead chickens to the lions. A lion is satisfied with eight chickens twice a week.
Tour guide Yolandi Smith invited us to get into the big cage and play with a 200kg lion, but no one dared.
She then went inside and gently stroked the beast as it rubbed its huge hairy body against her.
Then she opened another cage, and a pack of excited lions came running up.
The guide squatted on the ground, inviting the happy beasts to come running, jumping and playing.
At the end of the trip, the guide gave a command and the pack returned to the cage.
There are strict rules and it’s best to listen carefully to your guide unless you want to become a lion snack!
North West province also offers other adventures like crocodile expeditions in Skeerpoort, or dizzy rides on the Hartebeespoort cableway.
