14 DAY TRIAL // Cuddling with a kitten can prove a wonderful experience, as I'm sure many of the people who keep cats as pets know. However, I have to admit that I would hesitate to get up close and personal with a feline whose paws are probably about the size of my face.
The picture above was taken at Lion Park, a South African game reserve in Johannesburg, Daily Mail reports. Apparently, the woman featured in it had no intention to pose with a lioness when she decided to visit the wildlife park.
However, just as 42-year-old Lina Jek was getting ready to have her picture taken against the backdrop of the African savanna, the 8-month-old lioness approached her, hugged her and even gave her a kiss.
As is the case at several other game reserves in South Africa, folks who visit Lion Park are given the opportunity to interact with lions and other wild animals that are not yet old enough to constitute a threat to tourists.
“The lion park is a very small reserve that includes two enclosure for lion cubs from different litters. Visitors can enter the enclosures and interact with very young and cute lions, as young as two months old, and bolder visitors can visit lion ‘teenagers,’” says Lina's husband 50-year-old Chris.
“When the lions are eight months old they are at the limit of age for interaction with the public. The one in this picture was eight months old a few days later,” he further details.