Walking With Lions

Lions Messing Around

Lion in a Tree

Lion Love

King of the Beasts Standing

Lions Ready to Pounce

Getting a Lion Out of a Tree

Lion Petting Zoo

Cat Walk

Lions Messing Around

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Walking with lions was a great experience.  I was high after it was over.  The lions are accustomed to being with humans.  Their trainer keeps them focused on a chunk of meat on the end of a long pointed stick while they are waiting to be touched.  The speed at which the lions can grab that tidbit of food is astonishing.  These are truly wondrous creatures.  What also struck me was how much affection these two lions had for each other.  They were not fully grown.  The male massed 150 kg and is expected to reach 260 kg.  Later that day I drove back to Capetown, and began my long trip back to the USA the next afternoon.  This is the last post from my South African Adventure.  I may go back to the archives some day, but not for a while.

Bridges, Birds and Signs

Rocks at Storms River

It’s getting close to the end of the photos from my South Africa trip.  This group of photos was shot near the middle of the trip and includes a variety of subjects.  The exotic birds were photographed at Birds of Eden, a bird sanctuary that is a cage so big the birds don’t realize they are in a cage.  It covers several acres and the net is about 100 feet overhead.  A funny sign graced the men’s room at Monkeyland nearby.  Bloukrans bridge is the largest in South Africa and known for its bungee jumping.   The two bridges by the sea are at the mouth of the Storms River.  A bridge through the forest was captured at Monkeyland.  The black and white landscape and oyster sign are from Knysna.  If anyone knows the correct names for the birds, please leave me a comment and I will change the captions.

Scarlet Ibis

Knysna Turaco

Blue Crane

Love Birds

Red and Purple Parrot

Monkeyland Suspension Bridge

Men’s Room Sign

Bloukrans Bridge

Rocks at Storms River

Storms River Bridge

Oyster Bar Sign

Monkey Business

Elvis

Vervet Monkey

Lemur at the Table

Black Monkey

Elvis

Gibbon Swinging

Lemur

Golden Monkey

Monkey Looking Down

Ring Tailed Lemur

Monkey in the Trees

Monkeyland is a primate sanctuary near Plettenberg Bay, South Africa.  The animals are sourced from zoos and unwanted pets.  None are captured for the park and the primates roam free.  The species have been chosen to get along with each other.  They are fed at multiple feeding stations to avoid territoriality and conflict.  A fence keeps predators out of the roughly 25 acre park.  It’s a great life.