This Video Of Safari Guide's Scary Encounter With Lion Is Not For Faint-Hearted

Many tourists and travellers often embark on animal safaris with the hope of spotting majestic creatures like tigers or lions. But what if one of these animals suddenly appeared right in front of you? Would you be confused? Startled enough to jump? Perhaps you’d let out a shout or maybe you’d be so stunned that you wouldn’t react at all. That’s what happened to a man on a safari. A video of this surprising moment has gone viral online which is both scary and amusing.

In the brief clip, a lion is seen slowly approaching and fixating its gaze on a safari tracker seated in a land cruiser. Initially oblivious to the lion approaching from his blind side, the tracker is taken aback when he turns and suddenly finds the lion right in front of him, causing a momentary scare. However, the video cuts off abruptly, leaving viewers curious about the outcome of this tense encounter. “What would you do?” reads the caption accompanying the post.

The video garnered over 2 million views on the social media platform. People in the comments were curious about what happened next, with some expressing concern for the man’s safety.

A user wrote, “OMG. My heart would skip a beat.”

Another user said, “Probably pass out. Lol.”

“Call on Jesus and hope I am not his lunch,” said the third user.

Encounters between people and majestic cats on wildlife safaris are not uncommon. In an old video, a man is seen sitting on a seat attached to the front of a jeep, holding binoculars, appearing ready to observe animals in the forest. Oblivious to him, a lion is stealthily approaching. The lion then stares at the man and they lock eyes. Surprisingly, the lion continues to watch the man as he remains still. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the animal suddenly turns away.

In another case, the official Instagram account of Ranthambore National Park shared a video. In the video, a tiger comes very close to an open jeep. When the tiger starts sniffing around the vehicle, some tourists inside panic. They scream loudly, asking the driver to keep the jeep away from the tiger.

Many people voiced their disapproval of the Ranthambore National Park authorities for driving too close to the tigers. Concerns were also voiced over the guests’ yelling in the jungle and disregard for safari rules. It is suggested that visitors refrain from yelling at animals on most open vehicle safaris since this may elicit defensive behaviour.