The Lion Park, located on the outskirts of Fourways in the Gauteng Province, is Johannesburg most popular tourist destination. Visitors can take self-drive tours of the park, which provide excellent close-up views of African predators and herbivores. Over 80 lions, including the rare white lion, live in the Lion Park, along with other carnivores like cheetahs, wild dogs, black-backed jackals, and brown and spotted hyenas. In a separate section from the carnivores, you’ll discover antelope, zebra, giraffe, and ostriches roaming freely. Barriers and fences separate the carnivore camps, preventing rival prides from clashing.
The Lion Park offers some truly one-of-a-kind and fascinating wildlife encounters. Unlike most game parks, The Lion Park is open at night, allowing visitors to enjoy night drives and observe how the animals change as the sun sets. The Cub World provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage with and photograph lion cubs. You may also feed and pet the resident giraffe from an elevated platform, putting you at eye level with the majestic beast and ensuring an unforgettable encounter. Visitors over the age of 16 (and weighing at least 50 kg) are welcome to participate in an hour-long instructional stroll with the full-grown cheetahs. This is a must-see event!
History
The lion park Johannesburg began as a wildlife conservation area for lions in South Africa’s Gauteng province. The park moved to new premises at the Cradle of Humankind in the North West province in 2016, covering 600 hectares (about 1,500 acres). The park is located just north of Lanseria Airport, close to Johannesburg and Pretoria. It is home to a wide range of predators and huge herbivores native to Africa.
The Lion & Safari Park is home to around 80 lions, including rare white lions, as well as numerous other carnivores such as the South African cheetah, Cape wild dog, brown and spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, and a diverse range of antelope that walk freely in the antelope region.
The antelope section is separate from the lions and other carnivores, and contains giraffe, warthog, blesbok, wildebeest, impala, gemsbok, and zebra.
Within five small domes, the new park has a children’s play area, cafés, conference facilities, and a retail centre, in addition to the animal cages. Guests can also feed giraffes, ostriches, and antelope by hand.
The park also offers Lion and Cheetah walks twice a day, in which guests follow the animal for a short walk within the park in the company of a park employee.
Attacks At Lion Park Johannesburg
Katherine Chappell was visiting the park’s original location with a tour operator, Pierre Potgieter of Kalabash tours, on June 1, 2015. Chappell had broken park rules by opening her window and leaning out to take photographs when a lion came through the window and attacked her on the neck. Chappell died of her wounds at the Lion Park before paramedics arrived. Potgieter fought off the lion, suffering arm injuries and an unsubstantiated heart attack in the process.
Chappell was in South Africa to work on wildlife conservation and raise funding for Wildlife ACT, a conservation organisation.
Unfortunately, this was not a one-time occurrence. Brendan Smith, an Australian, was attacked by a lion when he raised his car window in April 2015. Smith managed to escape the attack and later admitted that he was the one who opened his window.
After cutting a hole in the fence two days after the Australian incident, a local child rode his bicycle through the park. He was assaulted by a cheetah, but he managed to escape.
Guided Tours At Lion Park Johannesburg
The Lion & Safari Park is home to a diverse range of indigenous animals, including lions (both brown and white), cheetahs, spotted and striped hyenas, leopards (including black leopards), wild dogs, sable antelope, kudu, and nyala, to name a few.
Guests can choose from a range of guided tours. The knowledgeable tour guides make each tour informative and educational by sharing intriguing facts. Predator Tour, Mini Safari Tour, Sunset Drives (with predator feeding), Private Exclusive Tours, and Alex Tour are some of the tour possibilities. The 3-hour Safari is the most popular excursion, and it includes snacks and drinks on the Crocodile River’s bank. On the ‘Alex tour,’ acclaimed animal trainer Alex Larenty promises a fun-filled encounter as he interacts with fully grown lions.
Self-Drive
Guests can also drive their own vehicles through the lion and wild dog enclosures, and the new extended path to the hyena enclosures will let them to witness a variety of antelope species, including Giraffe, Kudu, Gemsbuck, Warthog, Sable, Nyala, and others.
Kids Playground
The children will be entertained by the attractively built playground adjacent to the restaurants. This is the ideal location for children’s birthday parties. A day trip to the park also gives schools the opportunity to learn about the animals and the different research programmes that the Lion and Safari Park participates in.
Restaurant On Site
The Bull ‘n Buck Grill offers a first-class dining experience with an extensive wine list and a delectable menu, with venison being the Grill’s specialty dish, perfectly complementing that true African sensation. Alternatively, the Wetlands Restaurant is a terrific family option for a quick bite to eat while watching antelope graze just metres away. The meerkat, porcupine, and mongoose cages are a short walk from the eateries.
The Lion & Safari Park transforms each conference, function, or event into something special, in addition to being a world-class tourist destination.
Retail
With a wide selection of printing options such as photobooks, mugs, keychains, puzzles, and more, the park’s photographic centre will record your experiences. The ‘5 dome shopping experience’ features a wide range of one-of-a-kind handcrafted curios, jewellery, and clothes that make excellent gifts for loved ones back home.
Lion Park Johannesburg Entrance Fee
FREE entrance to the restaurants, curio shops and kiddie’s playground, guests only pay for activities.
When To Visit
The park is open 365 days a year, and is certainly an experience not to be missed.
08:00 – 17:00 MON – FRI
08:00 – 17:00 SAT, SUN, PH
Contact Details
+27 (87) 150 0100
+27 (76) 187 3883
+27 (71) 681 6800
info@lionpark.com