'Reverse Zoo' Puts Humans In Cages So Lions Can Watch Us For Once
Those of us who love animals seem to always have some conflicting feelings about going to the zoo - because even though we love to see animals, real animals up close and personal, we don't love the idea of those animals being in there instead of in the wild. There has been more than once when we joked about how wild animals encountering civilization probably look at us the same way that we look at them in the zoo.
Well, in South Africa's Lion sanctuary GG Conservation in Harrismith, there may be a solution. There's no reason to put a lion in a small cage in a zoo when you can just take the humans, put them into a cage, then plop that cage right into the middle of a conservation center. Problem solved, and goodness, we want to take that trip so badly.
Read more about the 'reverse zoo' and check out pictures below!
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As reported by the New York Post, visitors to the Lion sanctuary GG Conservation have the unique opportunity of seeing the king of the jungle up close and personal. They get placed inside of Plexiglas cages, and those get stationed right in the middle of the lions' lair, where they may encounter any of the 77 lions living in the sanctuary.
"We have been offering this experience for almost two years now," Suzanne Scott, the director of the nonprofit wildlife park, said. "The safety of both our guests and big cats is top priority." And yes, safety is indeed taken into strong consideration.
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For the cost of 2000 to 3000 South African rand, or about $134 to $197 in US currency, tourists get locked inside GG's "professional photography cage" for 45 minutes from 6:30 a.m. until 7:15 a.m. each day - so long as the weather conditions and staff availability allows it. Children under the age of 14 are not permitted, but the guests who do get in are more than encouraged to take pictures of the lions - true closeups of them as they attempt to claw through the enclosure's acrylic walls.
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"The [cage] is regularly checked by an engineer to ensure it can safely carry the weight should a lion jump on top of it," said Scott. The weight of a big cat can range from 270 to 570 pounds. The cage can hold up to three people at once, and it is outfitted with several circular "breathing holes" that allow the people inside to breathe.
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"These holes are totally safe and too small for a lion paw to get through," the conservation's website reassured. Of course, as with any extreme adventure like this one, the center also gives the visitors a fair warning about the unpredictability of the volatile species. "We cannot guarantee how the lions will react," the site reads, "but will endeavor to ensure you have a fantastic experience."
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Still, many have gone to see the lions in this unique way, and they have shared some of their experiences online. "The whole experience at GG Conservation was amazing," one guest wrote. Another wrote: "The lion cage really allowed me to come close-up with these awesome specimens. So much so that I could actually smell them."
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Best of all, this activity is good for the big cats as well! "It offers the lions enrichment in the form of mental and physical stimulation — which is good for any animals in captivity," said Scott. The profits made from the use of the cage are allocated towards housing the rescued pride. "It's a nonprofit sanctuary relying solely on donations," Scott explained. "The cubes rates offer us a small income which directly helps us to feed and protect the lions in our care."
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The sanctuary will soon welcome 17 more big cats that were recently rescued from a defunct zoo in the Middle East, and before the end of the year, they would like to have even more big cats. We wish them luck, we hope their lions continue to flourish in this environment, and as a final note, we would like to say that if we ever get the chance to go to South Africa, you can bet we will be one of those people in the cages.
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