I'm a great believer in fairness, so I've always rooted for captive animals being hunted by big tough he-men like that dentist from Minnesota and sandwich king Jimmy John to be armed and capable of shooting back.
But until that happens, here is one way for the Wild Kingdom to even it up a bit.
There is a zoo in South Africa where lions can nuzzle up to the people. It's a reverse zoo!
It's the GG Conservation lion sanctuary in Harrismith, South Africa, where visitors can get inside Plexiglas cages in the middle of the lion habitat, so that lions can get a better look at the people who come to see them. If you are very lucky, one of them will "paws" long enough to give you a "purrsonal" greeting!
They have 77 big cats there, so you won't have to wait long for one to come along.
Suzanne Scott is the direction of the nonprofit wildlife park, and she says, “We have been offering this experience for almost two years now. The safety of both our guests and big cats is top priority.”
The price is not really low. It costs between 2000 to 3000 South African rand (about $134 to $197 in US currency) to be locked inside GG’s “professional photography cage” for a 45 minute session.
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| American Rand |
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| South African Rand |
Children under the age of 14 are not allowed, because they scare the lions too much.
Imagine the fun of snapping photos with your Samsung as man-eating beasts claw at the Plexiglas which is the only thing keeping you from being an hors d'oeuvre.
“The [cage] is regularly checked by an engineer to ensure it can safely carry the weight should a lion jump on top of it,” says Ms Scott, and she's never lied to you before, has she? These flesh-eating cats weigh from 270 to 570 pounds.
Three people at a time can be in the Plexiglas cube. It has breathing holes to allow fresh air in and bloodcurdling screams out.
“These holes are totally safe and too small for a lion paw to get through,” the conservation’s website wants you to know.
The reverse zoo does extol their record of safety, but they hasten to remind you that behemoth beasts are unpredictable even on their best days...
“We cannot guarantee how the lions will react,” the site reads, “but will endeavor to ensure you have a fantastic experience.”
“This offers the lions enrichment in the form of mental and physical stimulation — which is good for any animals in captivity,” said Scott, who adds that they are a "nonprofit sanctuary relying solely on donations. The cubes offer us a small income which directly helps us to feed and protect the lions in our care.”
I'm thinking 8th grade field trip, you know?
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