Klara Eckman – Age 14
My family and I had a wonderful time on safari! I have so many amazing memories from this trip, but I think my favorite was when a large male lion came right up to our safari car.
We got up early in the morning because our guide, Fazal, told us lions and other cats are most active early in the morning and he knew where to find them. We found a large male lion right away and watched it drink and explore for a while and then as he moved, we moved with him. Then, we moved away from the lion to give him some space and we watched some nearby cheetahs. The cheetahs also came very close to our car and then they spotted the lion and wandered away, so we went closer to the lion again.
We found him sitting on top of a large rock and it was really cool to see. He got off of the rock and started walking. Fazal explained to us that he knew how to create a bond with the lion and not make it upset, so he moved away to give the lion space, but he moved into the direction that the lion was walking. The lion still came right up to our car! He walked directly up to the car and brushed against the side of it, almost like a little house cat rubbing against someone’s leg. The windows and the top of the car were open so we could have reached out and pet him! It was very exciting! Fazal had explained the lion’s behavior to us, which helped me understand why it chose to come to us. It was a once in a lifetime moment!
Fazal and all of the guides know so much about animals and their body language, so we had many other experiences like this one because of them. Fazal would always be so helpful telling us what every new animal was, how they behave, and lots of other interesting facts. He taught me so many things.
