Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Lions and Leopards and Cheetahs, O My!
I don’t think I’ll make it to Africa, where wild animals can still find places to roam and live their best lives in natural habitat. But my brother did, on safaris to wildlife preserves and his pictures are incredible. I especially enjoyed seeing the big cats behaving like cats! The lions, both majestic and playful, leopards and cheetahs, gorgeous and mysterious in their spotted coats.
And yes, there were elephants, giraffes, zebras and more!
I love animals and am happy to see them thrive. Visit the story at the link below for more pictures and clips of them all. It may be as close as you (or I) will get to them.
~ Susanne
P.S. For additional information, take a look at the comments, where John describes in more detail the nature of the ‘preserves’ he visited, where animals are safe from hunting and free to roam.
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
It’s amazing how different the big cats look compared to our domestic friends, look at those ears and eyes! 😻❤️
They are truly gorgeous and have the same mannerisms as their little domestic cousins!
Meow and roar!
Why don’t you think you’ll make it to Africa?
Too many places to go, so little time! But who knows?
Thank you for sharing…just to reiterate that these preserves keep the animals safe and the areas are massively large, so it’s not a cage, it’s the wild…they roam freely, including into your camp, so you have to be smart and listen to the expert guides…there is also a ton of cultural history and insight as well…you should go…it’s beyond anything we could articulate….there are camps of all sizes and prices, so it’s not out of reach at all! And Botswana is a phenomenal country as is South Africa!
Thanks, John. I appreciate the information. I love that these animals are free to roam. I wasn’t sure what the areas were called, but it seems they are where they have always lived, only now are protected from hunting, is that right? It sounds fascinating and nothing is without some risk, as they are indeed wild!
They re called concessions…the companies work with the government on large swaths of land – they pay for the right to have private safaris there, and also help local villages with modernization, protection of culture and villages, and jobs. A huge positive for all who live there. There are also public national parks as well where you can go on your own. but these are protected by private anti-poaching units to make sure the animals are not hunted at all. that’s why we can get so close: the guides are experts who all grew up in the area and know the life…we took a walking tour for two hours one day which was fascinating, and in Dinaka we had local tribesmen show us how to get water in a dry desert and how to make fire from nothing. I will be sharing that soon
Wow! Fascinating, and a win-win for man and beast alike!
And just to make clear: the animals have complete and total freedom to roam…there are virtually no fences of any kind…it’s important to know that animals have territories they stake out – NOT because of restrictions but because of their nature…when migrations occur for certain animals like wildebeests, they are completely unhindered…the concessions are for people to adhere to NOT the animals. In fact, I will be sharing a story on the “elephant superhighway”: the sandy roads that elephants like because they are easier to navigate…all animals love the few roads that exist, and when I say roads I mean sandy dirt trailers – there is NO cement or gravel used anywhere
I am relieved by his additional comment. Very relieved that he is not out there killing big animals for “fun.”
No, this is not a killing safari which would be horrific and ugly. I agree the additional comments were helpful. I love that these animals are allowed to live safely in their natural habitat.
To add a note: if you read my story at the very beginning I go into specific details about why we do NOT refer to them as the “big 5” as that is a hunting reference…sorry that didn’t come across…all animals are fully protected on the concessions granted by the government – as well as protected on the public lands that are parks and preserves…the animals have free and total freedom to roam wherever they like, the only fences are at the edge of the public lands that connect to cities and towns…but these areas where the animals are free and protected are massive – and both private lodges and the government have intense anti-poaching programs intact to ensure the animals are not hunted – the value that is generated for the local population by this “safe safari” experience for everyone is proving to be a huge economic boom for the countries that participate.
beautiful elephant
Yes, truly! 🙂
These photos are wonderful, especially the lions! I’m privileged to have been able to visit similar places and echo all John’s comments about the way the national parks and private concessions work to protect the animals from poachers etc. Important work, and our visits contribute to it!
Thanks, Sarah! He’ll appreciate your comment. 🙂 I was amazed at the wildlife he saw and pictures he captured! And I was also happy to learn about the ecotourism and the role these places play in animal conservation, as I knew very little about it.
Wonderful, Susanne! Love seeing the majestic big cats 🐾 💚🐾 and elephants. I follow Kevin Richardson’s “The Lion Whisperer” on YouTube, and it’s always great to know there are preserves where wildlife is free to roam, and their natural habitats are valued, cared for, and protected.
Thanks so much for your comment! I loved seeing all of the big cats, too! 🙂 And I’ll take a look at “the Lion Whisperer”, which sounds wonderful!
I left a comment on John’s post, Susanne.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks, Pete. 🙂
Susanne, I’m not sure what was more fascinating – your post or all the comments!
I appreciated the comments as they were so informative! But John’s original post I linked to was the best for all the gorgeous photos!