South Africa 2004

Lion and Rhino Park/Kromdraai Wonder Cave

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The Lion & Rhino Park is a game reserve near Johannesburg, and on our first full day in South Africa, our friend Driess took us there, with Mara, his wife, and their children Karl and Tanya. We had a great time spotting rhinos, wildebeest, kudu, hartebeest and zebras. But at the camp, we also got to get closer to some of the animals. One of the highlights of the entire trip was getting to pet some roughly six-month-old lions. This was a great experience, especially coming from the US, where you have to sign legal disclaimers for any goats-and-sheep petting zoo! For Julia and Jacob petting the lions was a total thrill, and to have these impressive cats roll on their backs to have you scratch their bellies was just too much!

Another impressive attraction of the park is the Wonder Cave, which features some very impressive rock formations. Jacob got a bit scared when they turned off the lights some times, but mostly he was very brave.