South Africa Attractions

Venue: Lion Park    When: Daily

Epitomising everyone's idea of African wildlife, the king of the jungle - or more correctly the savannah - can be seen at close quarters in the specially-designed 208-hectare Lion Park, just north of Johannesburg.

The privately-owned and run Lion Park, set up in November 1966 by the British Chipperfields Circus before changing ownership in 1999, affords visitors a first-hand experience of lions in the "near wild" without having to go on safari. The park has four prides of lions which visitors can admire from the safety of their cars.

Due to the fiercely territorial nature of the lion, prides must be kept completely separate. At Lion Park they inhabit different zones of the territory, separated by fences, to prevent inter-pride violent rivalry. One of the four prides is of white lions. In Cub World, visitors can actually play with lion cubs born in the park, as well as see tame warthogs.

In addition to the lions, the park's carnivores include hyenas, cheetahs, black leopards, wild dogs, caracals and black-backed jackals. Visitors can also drive through open antelope areas and spy large herbivores, including black wildebeest, springbok, blesbok, gemsbok, zebra and giraffe.