A group of tourists in Crimea’s Taigan Safari Park got more than they ever bargained for when a fully grown male lion decided to climb into their safari buggy this September. How’s that for an up close and personal wildlife tour!
While lions are historically known as the kings of the jungle.. giant, fierce beasts that one would have to be crazy to approach, the lion in this situation was definitely not what you would normally expect.
In fact, he appeared surprisingly friendly, adorable even.
In a video released by the park, the animal is seen crawling all over passengers, licking them, and even trying to cuddle.
The way he crawls across the seats and lays on top of everyone, it’s almost like he thinks he is a house cat. It makes you wonder if the animal really realizes how big he is.
The tourists love it though.
Of course, everyone pulls out their cameras and selfie-sticks, trying to capture the perfect shot with the ferocious creature.
While most people are thoroughly enjoying the encounter and laughing about it, at least one woman appears a little frightened. You can see her turning away from the lion and jumping out of the buggy. Minutes later though, she is taking pictures just like everyone else, so maybe she was just trying to get a better angle.
At one point, the lion even decided he wanted to drive. He can be seen sitting in the driver’s seat, hands on the wheel, ready to go.
If this keeps up, the tour leader might have to look for a new job, unless he wants to fight the lion for the position that is. Who knows, the crazy Russian man might just be brave enough to do it. The man’s name? Oleg Zubkov. However, according to the Daily Mail, most people know him simply as the “lion whisperer”.
By the end of the video, Zubkov is literally trying to drag the lion out of the buggy so the group can continue on their way.
It’s certainly one of the wildest tours we’ve ever witnessed. Really, when you are on a safari, you never know could happen. There’s basically always the slight possibility that something could go dangerously wrong.
In the same park just a few months prior, a tourist was actually bitten by a different lion.
The victim, 46-year-old Olga Solomina, described the attack in detail:
“It bit through my right arm and used it to drag me.. like a puppet. When I got back to my senses, I was already in the hands of the park’s staff who were helping me,” Solomina told the Daily Mail.
Thus is the risk when you are dealing with wild animals, especially of the big game variety. We suppose that’s part of what makes the experience exciting though.
The Taigan Safari Park is well known for its close encounters with the giant cats.
Watch the full video below of the friendly lion crawling into the buggy.
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