Two lionesses were seen sleeping in the road near Satara Rest Camp in Kruger National Park, causing a severe traffic blockade. When park visitors got lion fever, they parked their cars close to the lions, disrupting the flow of other traffic. This caused vehicles to drive off the road and into the veld, where a lioness was sleeping, almost killing her. For the safety of the animals and yourself, tourists, please follow the RULES.
Game drive etiquette Rules:
- When you come across a sighting, slowly pull over on the side of the road closest to the animal, but keep a safe distance
- If there are animals in the road, immediately stop at least 20 m from them
- The lane furthest from the sighting should never be blocked, so that others can pass if they want to
- Don’t linger longer than a few minutes at a sighting, so that others can view it too
- Never go off the designated roads
- Never climb out of your vehicle during a drive, or hang out of your car windows or sunroof
- Don’t hoot or blare loud music
- Avoid driving into vegetation, as this could damage the environment or kill small animals
- During night drives, never shine a spotlight directly in animals’ eyes
- Never make noise to get animals to move, stand up or otherwise react for pictures
- Respect the rangers, and always comply with their requests or instructions