Animals have what is described as a dominant sense. In the case of almost all predators this is sight. While they can all hear and smell much better than us at the end of the day they use their sight to determine what to hunt. When you are inside a tent you are out of sight. As regards smell - predators will break into a tent if they smell meat but a real live person does not smell like a meal.

We use shampoo, soap, deodorant, washing powder, mosquito spray and many other stinky (yes for a predator with a sensitive nose) things - not at all interesting. You will be very safe in your tent.

Man (hominids) have been the dominant day time predator in Africa for millions of years. However that role reverses at night when lions become the dominant predators - hence the don't wonder around in the dark rule in most camps.

my husband was also rather nervous about this before leaving for our trip.. then ironically, while we hardly saw animals on our way to ikoma bush camp, staying our first night ever in a tent (and the last one of the row for that matter !!)he suddenly woke me up, saying he could hear a lion... mating !!... because i am slightly deaf, i did not hear a thing.. and told him nonsense.. and just dozed off to sleep again.. but the next morning our guide asked us if we had heard the lion :-) i know we are generally not on a lion's menu, but to be fair, you never know, isn't it ? you have crazy people, why not crazy lions ? but isn't that what a safari is about ? that thrill of atleast a little danger ? and no feeling like waking up, unzipping that tent, and seeing gazelles less than 100 meters away on endless plains...

"I haven't heard of any tourists being carried off from their tents at night, while on safari, or even when dashing to the bathroom. Or am I in LaLa land?"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/566184.stm (19 yr old Brit killed by lions when he panicked and ran from his tent)

http://www.nbc11.com/slideshows/8186722/detail.html (American doctor killed by croc in Botswana)

http://www.arushatimes.co.tz/2005/39/front_page_3.htm (French boy killed by Leopard at Tarangire while waling to dinner at his lodge)

Statistically the danger is small, but anything can happen.

Yikes! Well, so much for my flip comment! i guess the watchword is just to be aware of your surroundings, and remember where you are...After reading that first article, I think keeping your tent zipped at night is a great idea, too.