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This story is sure something you can tell around a nice campfire.

All jokes aside.

Incidents like what happened at Rooiputs ia a once in a lifetime incident. Lions or any other predator for that matter doesn’t see a tent as a threat nor do they know they can actually go right through it, for them it is just an obstacle.
By chewing on the ropes it is just that there was human scent on the ropes and that was what made them inquisitive.
By staying still in the tent did help, but it could have gone the wrong way as well. The best advice I would give is that when you do see something sniffing the tent is to just give it a blow with your fist onto its nose and it should frighten them, but again depending on the situation. Shouting at the animal will also make it to leave the tent alone and go look for something else to play with.
By shining the flashlight did indeed woken the curiosity of the male to come and investigate what was going on.
Rooftop or ground tent.....They are both safe.
I have had a similar experience when working in the Kruger on a Trail when lion cubs destroyed two of our canvas tents just by playing and accidently tore the tents and they got inquisitive and started going into the tent destroying all that was inside.

At the end of the day it was a lifetime experience.

Kgalagadi Guru, I am very glad that you commented on that. I must say that this is one of my biggest fears when camping and hubster is trying serious blackmailing/negotiating techniques to convince me to camp in an unfenced area. This post did not help his cause. We are going to Tzendze KNP in May in a rooftop tent and although I am extremely excited, when the sun sets, I do get nervous and THAT camp is fenced . Hubster jokingly calls me a ‘sissy’ ...even after I forwarded this link to justify, what I guess is an irrational fear. I am glad to hear you say that the chances of this happening is slim (i prefer zero ) and it is good to know how to handle that type of situation should it happen. There is a youtube video titled “Apples in tent” which is VERY ENTERTAINING. Oh my goodness, a huge gorgeous and curious elephant walked amongst these campers smelling apples in a rooftop tent, i think Botswana. The campers went on as normal and stayed pretty calm. The 2 old gentleman carried on sitting in their camping chairs drinking, what i presume was something strong, very funny. Inquisitive ellie even came so close and took a whiff of the drink . Heaven forbid...I think that is something I like seeing on YouTube or reading about on this forum. Hi my name is Lizelle and I’m a sissy.

How awesome is that!

In my old age I am dreaming of some 'contact', but that is a bit too much.

What a story to tell afterwards!

It is like pregnant women reading these magazines that tell all the scary stories of one woman's freak pregnancy, so they all worry themselves silly about the obscure condition, without realizing that the vast majority of women have uneventful deliveries.

Same kinda, here!

@LizelleB -

From your hubster (LOL)

fantastic video

My oh my ....fun and games.....that is for the lions not so much fun for the tent occupant/s Dreamer lets hope that that knock on the head made "daddy" lion tell the kids to leave those tents alone!!! Will be thinking of you next week ... will certainly look out for any SOS's in the sand when we arrive on the 11th!!! mmmmm.....thinking of employing any takers for night watchman???????

I have had a similar experience with one of the big 5, not one that would eat human flesh but still a grey jumbo well known to have a short temper, a white rhino. I was sitting next to a burnt out campfire with my son just soaking up the night sounds and having a chat, a couple of rhino was grazing nearby and slowly moved closer. We carried on talking and tried our best to let the rhino know we were there without waking the whole camp, the rhino just kept getting closer and closer. Eventually they were about 1m from where we were glued to our chairs and believe me having these big brutes so close is intimidating to say the least. We did not want to get up in fear of startling the animals, not that I think my legs would have cooperated.

If I had something a bit stronger than good old coffee to drink I might not have been somewhat distressed but believe me it was an awesome experience to have wild rhino approach us so close and become part the conversation, they were calm and gentle the opposite of what their reputation would suggest. I can see why people go to these wild and untamed places to experience this kind of interaction and experiences like this one has made me passionate about the rhino.

Pikasso

WOW


those roars at the end.

How did you feel? I would have wet myself.

Bet you never forgot to take your rubbish out again

A wild animal will always stay wild...and that is why i love the unfenced camps because you experience everything !!! xx can't wait to get to rooiputs!!!!!!! and do you know what the best feeling is...when you get up in the morning and while driving out you see lion tracks 10-20m from your tent

BG

and not only tracks

Hi there,

wow, this was a real "close up"... .

One the one hand, I can't wait to be back in the KTP (and specially at Rooiputs) in 8 days :-).
Last April we had one of the two adult mails standing under our roof tent and we watched him walking on through the moon light.

On the other hand, it's not funny to see that people don't even "forgot" (Mistral, are you kidding us??) their cooking stuff outside, but also the litter (tins and so on). It is clearly to see and hear (!) that one of the two male teenagers is chewing on a tin - there is nothing funny about that... . Sorry, but this was without any responsibility for the animals. Not because of the food, but because of the sharp material in it's mouth as well as that he "eats" some small plastic or metall parts and whatever.

Regards

Matou

Hi there ! Matou, welcome to the forum
haven't you never forget something outside and... laughing about the situation