Today we decided it was time to finally pull ourselves out of Jeffrey's Bay and hit the road again. We backtracked a bit as Sami insisted on going to the Seaview Lion Park to play with lion cubs. We were delighted to realize that it was not only a park for lions, but that it had other animals roaming around as well! We saw giraffes, zebras, blesboks and blue wildebeest. In comparison to Kruger Park, Seaview Lion Park was small and compact, with only one path to follow through the area. This was a definite advantage because we were sure to see all of the animals in the park, making it a fun and exciting day-trip.
We went to the cage area and saw some lazy tigers sleeping in the shade.
We went toward the lions cage wondering what this white mass on the ground was - a dead sheep for feeding maybe? Turned out it was a full-grown male white lion!
Very amazing sight. These animals are gigantic when you are standing right next to them, and Gen was awestruck by their massive size. Despite the electric fence between them, Sami panicked when the lion stood up and glared at him!
White lions unfortunately no longer exist in the wild, due to the lack of camouflage and heavy poaching for their exotic fur. Seaview has a breeding program that promotes the continuation of the unique white lion.
After seeing the numerous adult male and female lions, we headed over to where they kept the main attraction - the lion cubs! First we visited four 3.5 month-old cubs that were lazying in the sun on a deck. We got to pet them and even hold them in our arms - an absolutely incredible experience. We especially enjoyed Cliff's antics, being the dominate alpha male of the group and the only lion cub of the group to display the white gene. Finn, on the other hand, was an extremely gentle brown-coloured cub that was happier resting in the shade.
We were so excited about the visit that we immediately paid to play with the four older cubs (4 months old), which were hiding out in a tree in their area. As we entered they all looked down at us as if we were their new playthings for the day.
As it turned out, we were! We played with them much longer than the ten-minute allotment, and eventually the more adventurous cub, Maxime, came down from the tree to meet us.
While Gen preferred to keep the lions at arm's length, Sami did not hesitate to get right up to the lions to rub their bellies and let them chew his fingers. Gen was quite nervous standing underneath the rearend of one of the tree-climbing cubs, worried that it might defecate on her. Shortly after she moved away, the lion cub released a heavy stream of urine right where Gen had been standing!! Anyways, they were very playful and curious and overall it was an unforgettable experience. Interacting with these "Princes of the Jungle" even determined many of the activities we would schedule over the next few days!
After a long playtime session, we sadly left the park and headed towards Tsitsikamma Backpackers in Stormsriver Village along the Garden Route. We enjoyed some foozball and tv before sleeping in our twin-bed tent.
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