Safari ranger sits perfectly still as Lion passes just inches away from him (photos)
Eric Ubisi, a safari
ranger at Manyeleti Game Reserve in Tintswalo, South Africa was seated on his
jeep relaxing the afternoon sun when he got an almighty fright. A lion taking a
stroll happened upon him as he sat unarmed and exposed. For the briefest of
moments, man and beast locked eyes and Eric sat perfectly still, one wrong move
and he may have been lunch.
Despite the terrifying
encounter, Eric who was with fellow rangers David Jacobs and Anton van
Loggerenberg later claimed he knew he was in no real danger.
He said: 'I enjoyed it
and knew the lion was going to walk past without harming me. I knew the lion
was relaxed and I have been watching him every day since he was a cub and know
his behaviour.
'They are our resident
pride.'
The Tintswalo Safari
Lodge said it adheres to the strictest safety measures and precautions, and the
highly experienced staff knew that in this position, the best thing to do was
to stay still.
One of his colleagues
managed to capture the moment perfectly, and David said: 'We were out on a game
drive with our guest when we spotted three young male lions on buffalo planes.
We positioned our vehicle in a way that offered our guest optimal viewing, when
the lions all stood up and approached the vehicle.
'One lay down behind the
vehicle and the other one moved towards the front and briefly stopped and
looked at Eric, so I was unable to back away.'
'I asked Eric if he was
comfortable and he said he was fine. I observed no aggressive behaviour from
the lions. It was a very brief encounter and after a few minutes, the lion
walked off and lay down about ten metres away.'
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