45 minutes from OR Tambo International Airport
30 minutes from Nelson Mandela Square

Spend the day up close & personal with the "King of the Jungle" & other interesting animals.

Leave after breakfast of your hotel.

On arrival you will go to reception, where you will choose one of several options of animal encounters at The Lion Park.

Feed one of the Giraffes.  This is truly amazing, getting so close to one of the tallest animal on the planet.

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant. Its scientific name, which is similar to its archaic English name of camelopard, refers to its irregular patches of colour on a light background, which bear a token resemblance to a leopard's spots, and its face, which is similar to that of a camel. The average mass for an adult male giraffe is 1,200 kilograms (2,600 lb) while the average mass for an adult female is 830 kilograms (1,800 lb). It is approximately 4.3 metres (14 ft) to 5.2 metres (17 ft) tall, although the tallest male recorded stood almost 6 metres (20 ft).

All you have to do is climb up a few steps to the top of the platform and „voila“ you are staring right into the eyes of one of the Giraffes.  Hold out your hand with some food (better to buy a bag of Giraffe snacks at the little shop close by!) and there you have it, that dark purple tongue, which can be up to 45 centimetres, will scoop up the snacks.

How about, taking a walk with a full grown cheetah?  But of course, no running allowed! You will lose the race!!

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large-sized feline (family Felidae) inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws. As such, it is the only felid with non-retractable claws and pads that, by their scope, disallow gripping (therefore cheetah cannot climb vertical trees, although they are generally capable of reaching easily accessible branches). The cheetah, however, achieves by far the fastest land speed of any living animal — between 112 and 120 km/h (70 and 75 mph) in short bursts covering distances up to 500 m (1,600 ft), and has the ability to accelerate from 0 to over 100 km/h (62 mph) in three seconds.

These walks, although breathtaking, are also very educational, as you will be accompanied by one of the experts, who will gladly answer any of your questions about this feline.

There is also the "piece de resistance" spending some time in the young lion’s enclosure.  Here you will definitely spot the difference between the awesome regular lion cub and the white lion cub.

You WILL get dirt on your clothes, but this is nothing compared to that sublime feeling, of having one of the young cubs sit on you lap, or even nibble on your hand.

Instead of your traditional dinner or "braai" (BBQ), here’s an option.  Be driven out in one of the enclosed game vehicles, into the "lions den", where you are given the opportunity to, watch & hear the lions feed.

Remember they hunt at night, so if you had to come into the enclosure during the day, they would be doing what lions do best!! "SLEEP".  But it is certainly a different story when the sun sets.

Hear the growl, see those muscles tense, and see the hierarchy in action.  The females might do the hunting in the wild, BUT the males are always first to eat their fill.

You may also get to experience the pride of "White lions".  Although at night, it is not that easy to spot the white from the regular.

White lions are not albinos! Their white colour is caused by a recessive gene known as the chinchilla or colour inhibitor gene, distinct from the albinism gene. They vary from blonde through near-white.

You will then get driven back to the camp, where you will enjoy your own feast, in the Boma around an open fire.

If you are in Johannesburg or Pretoria, this is definitely worth a visit.