I just had the section ranger of Twee Rivieren in the office and sharing and almost scary incident which took place at Auchterlonie.
There was a cheetah at the waterhole drinking and obviously quite a few cars watching, when a young boy decided that he will sit on the window and watch the cheetah. The vehicle was facing towards Twee Rivieren. While sitting on the window the section ranger drove up to the vehicle and explaining to the driver (the young boy's dad) how dangerous it is to not only sit on the window but also that it is against the rules.
Suddenly out of nowhere a young male lion rushed out of the bush on the opposite side of the road, crossing in front of the vehicle where the young boy sat and chased the cheetah for a few hundred meters. None of the cars watching the cheetah have seen the lion behind the bush opposite the waterhole.
This again just show how quickly an accident can happen and how dangerous it can be to be out of the vehicle. So please stay in your vehicles at all times you never know what is watching you while you watch something else.
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Head: Field Guiding Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park jan.kriel@sanparks.org
I ask myself.. What if?... The section ranger didn’t stop next to the vehicle. What if? The lion decided to charge the boy...since he broke the silhouette of the car. It could have turned out very ugly
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Head: Field Guiding Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park jan.kriel@sanparks.org
Post subject: Re: Why can’t or shouldn’t I...........?
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 12:21 pm
Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:44 am
Posts: 5226
Location: On the edge of heaven
Yep. Had the same encounter in August 2009 at the "Battle on Orpen road".
Lots of people watching lions on the left hand side. Girl on the window ledge on the right hand side of the road. Lioness on the right in the bushes and I drove my car quickly in-between the lioness and the car and gave them an earfull. As my thanks I got a big mouth.
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Back where I belong and never leaving Words ought to be a little wild for they are the assault of thoughts on the unthinking. (Keynes) Oktober till December 2010 in Kruger
I am totally opposed of any development of hotels inside the park!!!
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