Lion and Safari Park

The Lion and Safari Park is a wildlife park on Lion Park Road in Broederstroom, north of Johannesburg, in Gauteng province, South Africa, close to the Cradle of Humankind. It is a popular half-day outing for visitors who want to see big cats and other African animals without travelling to a larger reserve. The main attraction is a lion enclosure where visitors can drive through the reserve in their own vehicle or take a guided open-vehicle safari. Within the enclosure, lions, including white lions, can be seen resting and moving close to the road. Other sections of the park are home to cheetahs, spotted hyenas, African wild dogs, giraffes, zebras and various antelope, and there is a section where visitors can view them from vehicles or walkways. The park also has a cub-related programme, and visitors should be aware that interactions with young predators are a widely debated animal-welfare topic, so many travellers choose to view the animals from a distance and to research the park's practices first. A typical visit takes two to three hours. Mornings are the best time for game drives, as the animals tend to be more active before the heat of the day. Weekdays are calmer, and weekends and school holidays draw family groups. A restaurant and curio shop operate on site, and picnic areas are available. Photography is generally permitted, although visitors must remain in their vehicle in the predator areas and windows should be kept closed. A rental car is the easiest way to arrive, around 45 minutes from Sandton, and organised tours are also available. Admission is usually a few hundred rand, with separate charges for guided drives.