Jurrasic Park is Real!!!!!

It's called Antelope Park, and instead of dinosaurs, it's all about lions, elephants, and the like. It's in Zimbabwe, and is seriously one of the most amazing places I've seen. It's beautiful, well managed (lots of people running around in official looking khaki safari outfits with walkie talkies), had a central dining center with a great porch for everyone to hang out at, had several camp sites, and each group of visitors was assigned a guide to take us around to any & all of the amazing activities they offer. I swear Newman (Wayne Knight) is hidden away in a bunker somewhere running the computer systems! :)

The park's primary mission is to repopulate the lion population in Africa. They currently have 32 lions on site, and they breed them, and then raise the young to be released in the wild. While on site, however, the lions are taught that their trainers are dominant, so they are somewhat accustomed to human interaction, and we were able to get insanely up close & personal with them!

My first activity was Cub Viewing where we got to go into a pin with three cubs from a litter -- two girls and a boy. They were two months & three weeks old, and absolutely adorable. Also, surprisingly, already quite strong -- their impressive claws & paws were my favorite part!

Next up for me was a Lion Walk -- insane! We headed out on foot with three older lions -- again, two girls and a boy. They were 18 months old, and already so big! We got to pet them, sit with them, walk along next to them stroking their back, it was amazing! My favorite part (perhaps f the entire park) was the sounds they make. They have the deepest, most serious gutteral roars and purrs. I als loved looking at their teeth when they yawned!

I did a few other activities on site -- a crazy carriage ride into the bush to look at animals (think booze cruise, but on land in a carriage pulled by four mules), and a trip to see the biggest lions on property and learn about the mating process. These lions were full grown and fantastically handsome. We could not enter their pens -- while they are accustomed to their trainers and wouldn't mean to harm them intentionally, their size and strength would be deadly if they began to play around.

Bottom line, anyone who comes to Southern Africa should plan to fit in a few nights at Antelope Park in Zimbabwe. It's simply incredible.

ROAR!
Mere