Help me find this photo.....Is it yours? Open vehicle with lion VERY close.
 

Within the last few weeks I came across a photo of a lion in very close proximity to an open vehicle. I have tried and tried to find it again, but to no avail. Does anybody know which one I am talking about...is it yours? I want to show it to my husband.
When I saw it (having only been in a closed vehicle) I wondered how I would react being this close to predators with no barrier. Does anyone experience a bit of anxiety the first time? I remember the first time we came upon a pride of lions very close to the vehicle (closed) and every so slowly and quietly rolling up my window, only to hear a chuckle from my guide and hearing..."you don't have to do that". I quickly got over it, but do remember a couple of times when lions were close by and having one of them lock their eyes on me and finding myself holding very, very still. I assume you get used to it, but that photo got me to wondering if I might be like the woman in Julian's report crouched down in the seat.
Thanks for your help.
Teri

Johan De Bondt had some pictures like that on his Kodak photo page; a completely open vehicle with a lion crossing in front of it...

I experienced a flicker of anxiety that lasted so very briefly as to almost not be worth mentioning!

And that amazes me in itself given the seemingly crazy situation - very dangerous wild animals within feet of you and you in a completely open vehicle! But you do quickly realise that they simply do not see people within vehicles as prey.

Step out to take a photo though and that changes instantly, as some tourists (who refused to listen/ believe their guide) found out to their cost.

Teri, I remember that picture - but I can't think of who's it was! It was the person who came home and discovered that he had a picture of a leopard under the vehicle once he looked at his pictures - the leopard was watching the lion, or the lion was watching the leopard - one or the other. He/she posted three or four pictures to bring the leopard in closer -and sure enough there it was - under the jeep!

I too was amazed at the proximity to the open vehichle - that would be incredible! (typing mistakes by the way are due to domestic cat sitting on keyboard...) I thought it was thrilling enough to have the cats so close we could touch them in Ngorongoro, but that picture gave me a good bit of anticipation for our next planned trip to Africa (Botswana - open vehicles)!

Have you seen Mike & Mark on Animal planet,Mike Penman and old Mark Tennant on the Botswana safaris etc.
Mike is a little bit more carefull with clients on safari but realy know his animals and Botswana

Lynda,
That was by "mv" the leopard I saw without seeing it.

Bots

Do you not find their style somewhat intrusive to the animals and flat annoying to watch.

Ours was not the photo in question but if you want to see some photos taken close up in an open vehicle you might want to take a look at some of our photos taken earlier this month in Kenya. It was pretty chilling when the lion approached, locked eyes with my wife's, and then layed down, still glancing up at us:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...0&y=xznihu


Kevin

Lynda
It was Michael (MV) who posted the picture of the vehicle with lion nearby whilst all those on the vehicle ignored the lion and peered down at the leopard hiding just by them!!

Good memory Carla & Kavey! That's the one - the lion is really close...

Hello,

I've had a number of close encounters with predators, all in open vehicles (e.g. leopards close enough to touch). The only time it made me nervous was when a hyaena-leopard face-off took place next to my vehicle and culminated in both animals rolling around in a snapping, snarling ball of fur. I wasn't really worried for myself as they weren't about to roll into the raised part of the vehicle, but I was a bit worried for my ranger since the driver's side of the Land Rover didn't have a door.

Other than that, I've never had any cause for concern - as Kavey says, for the most part they you as part of the vehicle, and they have long since learned that vehicles are neither dangerous nor edible and therefore can be ignored as they go about their business.

Cheers,
Julian

I have a couple close encounter photos.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/rocco/ma...__south_africa

Go to Row 15, Pic #10 and you will see a lioness walking by the vehicle...the shadowy figure on the far right of the photo is my guide pressed hard against his seat as the lioness was within touching distance. The Puku Ridge vehicle does not have doors at the lowest level (this helps keep the dust from spraying the guests in the back rows) and I was sitting in the front row next to the guide and also had a lioness walk within touching distance on my side...she was barely in focusing distance for the shot I took in Row #15, Pic #14.

Then for some close encounters with leopards, take a look at Row #21, pics #7, #9 and #10.

Trust me, while I was not exactly jumping down to pet the leopard, the lioness was far, far scarier!

Lots of interesting close encounters but, for whatever reason, I have always felt really safe. A few memorable ones - a hyena trying to pull the blanket off the lap of the driver in a jeep with no door (Mashatu); a hyena sitting below my seat (back row) in the jeep as I looked out at him, our noses about 5 feet apart as we stared into eachother's eyes (Mashatu), too close for pictures; spotting a Duba Boy poking his head around a bush about 50 metres away , watching us while we were on a "bush break" (Duba Plains); lots of cool encounters and lots of lions and leopards strolling right next to the jeep. I find that trying to stay aware of my surroundings and doing some homework on the animals and their behaviour (especially if this is your first safari) really helps a lot.

A couple more close ups...lion pride resting under my vehicle in the Crater:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/rocco/main/tanzania

Row #2, Photos 5 & 6.

When the lions stood, their faces were about even with the side windows of the vehicle.

Hi Rocco,
How did I miss your TZ photos? They are terrific. I especially like the "triple licking lion" photo, that's a winner! Don't tempt me with a TZ itinerary whatever you do, I already have too many choices as it is.

I've told this story before but it bears repeating. Last year a good friend of mine had a sub-adult lion lick his boot through the doorway of an open vehicle. Another passenger captured the moment on video but I've never seen the footage.

John

For me, regarding heart-pounding moments, it has to be elephants approaching within 10 meters of my vehicle. I've had elephants who have touched an open roof hatch and the windscreen of the vehicle with their trunk. I closest "contact" I've had on safari was 10 years ago in Tsavo. A large troop of baboons raided our camp. A very large male baboon (standing at about 3 foot in height) approached me and confronted me. I stood my ground and he stood his. I kept my arms behind my back (as any sudden movements of my arms could have been seen as aggression). The baboon then showed me his teeth and actually pulled at my trouser leg. I slowly brought my hands forward and showed him my palms, to show that they were empty. The baboon then turned around and walked off.

This was my first ever safari, so I thought nothing of it and thought that this was normal.

Thanks everybody for all your help. I showed my husband the pic of the lion next to the open vehicle (he did not go on my first safari, but am trying my best to get him to go on my second)...I asked him to look at the pic and if that would bother him. His reply a very strong affirmative! He didn't exactly use those words. Guess I will have to stick to closed vehicles.
I love reading all of your stories of close encounters with all things wild. Even thought they do raise a few hairs on my neck, to me the adventure of it all is what is so wonderful about Africa.
Rocco, going to take a look at your close encounters today (hopefully), we are under a hurricane warning and must begin to drag all things outside, inside.
Lions licking boots, baboons bearing teeth..YIKES...isn't Africa wonderful! I wanna go back!
Thanks again everybody.
Teri

Geez! What a wimp. You are perfectly safe if you follow the instructions of your guides. I have been so close to Leoaprds and Lions in the vehicle, I'm sure they don't even notice you and see you as a person. I have video which if video egg ever supports mpeg will post, showing a young Leopard looking up at me, about two feet from the camera lense. I would not let this be a reason to miss the best experience in the world. At least go once.