No Hoomans, No Problems so Lions Take a Nap on Road in South Africa
It’s not like you can see every day a pride of liones napping on empty road. Well, it’s a picture from South Africa’s Kruger National Park , taken on an road that would otherwise be filled with tourists.
Richard Sowry, park ranger, is one of the employees that is required to ensure the welfare of the animals during coronavirus pandemic. Park was closed three weeks ago.
As of Friday, South Africa had 2,605 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 48 deaths linked to the virus, according to Johns Hopkins data.
Typically, lions only roam paved roads at night, when the park is closed to guests. But Isaac Phaahla, a communications and marketing manager at the park, explained to USA TODAY that the “animals must have realized that there has not been traffic since the lockdown” and taken advantage of the newfound space.
Sowry told the BBC that he captured the photos while driving on the road and pulled up less than 16 feet away from the big cats to take the photo.
Phaahla said that animals tend to be less afraid of vehicles, while a “walking individual” is associated with danger.