How would you react if you were on a photo safari and witnessed an adult male lion approaching within yards of your open-air vehicle?
The accompanying footage, shared Thursday by Mala Mala Game Reserve, shows a young woman expressing awe and disbelief as a lion strolled almost within touching distance.
Her reaction is so understandably perfect that Mala Mala required no description other than to state: “One of the many reasons we do what we do.”
For those who might wonder, lions in South Africa’s protected reserves are accustomed to safari vehicles and typically do not perceive tourists in vehicles as prey or a threat.
Mala Mala is a private reserve that shares an unfenced border with world-famous Kruger National Park. Besides lions, guests might encounter other iconic large animals such as elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffaloes.
