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Lions (long post!)

SeeMoonSeeMoon Banned Posts: 355 Major grins
edited August 19, 2004 in Wildlife
My job at KLM airlines brings me to many beautiful places and gives me such great opportunities..i thought i'd share one;

South Africa is one of my favourite destinations for it's beautiful landscape, nice people and most of all; wildlife. I've been on safari several times and loved it, but nothing beats the experience of being so close to lions. I'll visit the Lionpark in Johannesburg and Colin's ranch as often as i can to see them. At these places they educate people about them and so help to preserve the species..as you know a lot of people are very poor, so some would easily kill one for money. You can only visit them at certain times of the day and only when they're young..later on they will not be in contact with people anymore and sold to safariparks to keep the populations healthy. There they live as they would in the wild.

This is at the Lionpark; teething;

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Roxy and Kuzco are the prettiest ones and i've visited them at least 5 times now. When they were about 3 months i fed them their bottles..at this point they're just big cats!

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The next time i saw them was about 3 months later and they were obviously on a different diet.. At this point i still could be close, but not left alone with them anymore; they grow so fast!

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The last time i couldn't believe how big they'd grown! Kusco had his manes and all! A real big boy! I was so surprised that Colin would still let me close to the fence, ..and asked me in the cage!! (it's actually much bigger than a cage but don't know the word in english..den?) My boyfriend was with me and made some pics with my new Nikon, it was still on portrait-mode from shots before so i'm completely blown out..but anyway; i had the time of my life!!!! What a lucky girl i was to pet these beautiful animals that seemed to recognize me!! I didn't know what to do; laugh or cry..Wow..

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This is one of the new baby's..a real model! I hope to go there soon again!

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    lynnmalynnma Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 5,207 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2004
    SeeMoon wrote:
    My job at KLM airlines brings me to many beautiful places and gives me such great opportunities..i thought i'd share one;

    South Africa is one of my favourite destinations for it's beautiful landscape, nice people and most of all; wildlife. I've been on safari several times and loved it, but nothing beats the experience of being so close to lions. I'll visit the Lionpark in Johannesburg and Colin's ranch as often as i can to see them. At these places they educate people about them and so help to preserve the species..as you know a lot of people are very poor, so some would easily kill one for money. You can only visit them at certain times of the day and only when they're young..later on they will not be in contact with people anymore and sold to safariparks to keep the populations healthy. There they live as they would in the wild.

    This is at the Lionpark; teething;



    Roxy and Kuzco are the prettiest ones and i've visited them at least 5 times now. When they were about 3 months i fed them their bottles..at this point they're just big cats!



    The next time i saw them was about 3 months later and they were obviously on a different diet.. At this point i still could be close, but not left alone with them anymore; they grow so fast!





    The last time i couldn't believe how big they'd grown! Kusco had his manes and all! A real big boy! I was so surprised that Colin would still let me close to the fence, ..and asked me in the cage!! (it's actually much bigger than a cage but don't know the word in english..den?) My boyfriend was with me and made some pics with my new Nikon, it was still on portrait-mode from shots before so i'm completely blown out..but anyway; i had the time of my life!!!! What a lucky girl i was to pet these beautiful animals that seemed to recognize me!! I didn't know what to do; laugh or cry..Wow..



    This is one of the new baby's..a real model! I hope to go there soon again!
    Oh Simone thanks for sharing these shots with us. What a great opportunity for you to be so close to such beautiful animals.. I can't imagine what that must have felt like.. I bet they did recognize you!iloveyou.gif
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    DJ-S1DJ-S1 Registered Users Posts: 2,303 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2004
    Wow, it's wonderful that you are taking full advantage of the opportunities your work allows you. Those are priceless experiences, thank you for sharing them! Keep them coming. clap.gif

    BTW, either that 1st pic is where you got your avatar from, or you have a very consistent smile! :D
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    wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2004
    SeeMoon wrote:

    996591-S.jpg

    How Lynn's camping trip ended.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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    damonffdamonff Registered Users Posts: 1,894 Major grins
    edited August 10, 2004
    This last shot could be the cover of National Geographic.


    3433901-M.jpg[/QUOTE]
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    SeeMoonSeeMoon Banned Posts: 355 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2004
    wxwax wrote:
    How Lynn's camping trip ended.

    rolleyes1.gif
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    SeeMoonSeeMoon Banned Posts: 355 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2004
    damonff wrote:
    This last shot could be the cover of National Geographic.


    3433901-S.jpg
    [/QUOTE]

    Thanks Damon!!
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    SeeMoonSeeMoon Banned Posts: 355 Major grins
    edited August 11, 2004
    Here's some more;

    3484932-M.jpg

    3484934-M.jpg
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    SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited August 12, 2004
    These are fantastic! Thanks for sharing.

    Once a very long time ago, I got to pet a Tiger, he stuck his nose on my cheek, and kinda blew air out. I was told that's how they say hello. Boy, I never knew from photos, just how BIG a tiger's nose and head is!

    To hold and feed a baby lion has to be a wonderful experience.

    Sam
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    SeeMoonSeeMoon Banned Posts: 355 Major grins
    edited August 15, 2004
    lynnma wrote:
    Oh Simone thanks for sharing these shots with us. What a great opportunity for you to be so close to such beautiful animals.. I can't imagine what that must have felt like.. I bet they did recognize you!iloveyou.gif

    Lynn, thanks for your comment! I know you like horses and doggies, but i bet you'd love these cats as well! :D
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    SeeMoonSeeMoon Banned Posts: 355 Major grins
    edited August 15, 2004
    Sam wrote:
    These are fantastic! Thanks for sharing.

    Once a very long time ago, I got to pet a Tiger, he stuck his nose on my cheek, and kinda blew air out. I was told that's how they say hello. Boy, I never knew from photos, just how BIG a tiger's nose and head is!

    To hold and feed a baby lion has to be a wonderful experience.

    Sam

    Thanks Sam. That is indead how they say hello; very cute he greated you that way.. special cologne? :D
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    ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited August 15, 2004
    SeeMoon wrote:
    Lynn, thanks for your comment! I know you like horses and doggies, but i bet you'd love these cats as well! :D

    Simone, fantastic shots, just gorgeous, and so interesting.

    ginger
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
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    GREAPERGREAPER Registered Users Posts: 3,113 Major grins
    edited August 15, 2004
    Love these shots, I dont think I would have the guts to get that close to one of these big cats (I have seen "The Ghost And The Darkness")

    I'll stick to tryng to shoot them through fence or glass.

    Thatnks for sharing them with us, I looked at the gallery at can tell it's a fantastic experience.
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    SeeMoonSeeMoon Banned Posts: 355 Major grins
    edited August 17, 2004
    Thanks for your comments everyone!
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    spinkspink Registered Users Posts: 22 Big grins
    edited August 19, 2004
    Great shots indeed, Thank you.
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