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.”
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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.