A pride of lions in South Africa have been photographed taking a cute little nap in the middle of the road and I simply must cuddle them all.
Countless photos have been circulating the internet amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many of which illustrating how nature has taken back over while we’re all cooped up in isolation.
Kruger National Park in South Africa even got in on the action by tweeting a series of images of a pride of lions lazily napping in the middle of the road.
Kruger visitors that tourists do not normally see. #SALockdown This lion pride are usually resident on Kempiana Contractual Park, an area Kruger tourists do not see. This afternoon they were lying on the tar road just outside of Orpen Rest Camp.
📸Section Ranger Richard Sowry pic.twitter.com/jFUBAWvmsA— Kruger National Park (@SANParksKNP) April 15, 2020
Section Ranger Richard Sowry was able to get within five metres of the apex predators to take the incredible photos.
“Lions are used to people in vehicles,” Richard Sowry explained to BBC News. “All animals have much more of an instinctive fear of people on foot, so if I had walked up they would never have allowed me to get so close.”
According to a park spokesperson, the lions have been living it up in the absence of tourists, choosing to nap on the road, rather than in the grass.
“They are nocturnal animals and it is not unusual for them to sleep during the day, what is unusual is the utilisation of the tarred road because normally if there is traffic, they would not be using the tarred road,” Kruger National Park spokesperson Isaac Phaahla told CBS News.
Although Kruger National Park is currently closed to tourists, they’ve been keeping fans occupied by posting regular (adorable) content to their Twitter account, showcasing a range of animals in their natural habitat without human interference.
#KrugerSelfies caught on our camera traps; with 💛 from the animals to all Kruger fans.
Add your caption. pic.twitter.com/BIpSOotD3y— Kruger National Park (@SANParksKNP) April 14, 2020
South Africa has been in lockdown since March 25, but the rangers at Kruger National Park have been working tirelessly to protect the endangered animals from the ever-present threat of poachers amid the coronavirus lockdown.
