Namibia June 2006 (1 Viewer)

MarcellC said:

A year or two ago a tourist became lion feed as he fell asleep at the Okaukeujo waterhole and the lion quietly clambered up and ...

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Have spent many months in Namibia over the years and actually very very few incidents happen - some of the stories are myth, some are real ...but the tales of both circulate for years and years, making it sound it has all been recent. The lion story has been doing the rounds for a good few years now - I don't think authorities tried to keep it quiet, it is just that it is a long time ago now - it is a good few years since I was last at Okaukeujo and the event had happened 'a year or two' before that. The watching place is usually fairly busy (with people) until about midnight or some time after, but the basics of it were this one guy decided to stay longer and fell asleep whilst there alone. The lion climbed up the wall and chomped him. A fence has been added since to make it harder now (a lazy lion probably wouldn't be able to make it now)

Also heard the hyena story too. And one about a Japanese tourist that got of a car to be photographed by a lion, then promptly got eaten. Not sure that one's true though. 3

Visited Namibia in oct/nov 2004 and it really is a great place, Walvis in particular is spectacular, waders (incl terek, red necked phal etc) and many chestnut banded plovers superb place, inland the dunes reach massive heights and are a site to behold (see pic), certainly didnt see all the endemics,some can be tricky (dipped herero chat and dune lark),very friendly country with no major problems, anybody with a digital camera will have a field day in etosha,I only digiscoped at the time but everything was close to the car anyway,giving great views, especially birds like korhaans which are usually quite shy and unobtrusive, id recommend Namibia to anybody!!

Also heard the hyena story too. And one about a Japanese tourist that got of a car to be photographed by a lion, then promptly got eaten. Not sure that one's true though.

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Hi Jos

I know some of these things are myth (suppose it makes it more exciting for visitors?) but as for the hyaena at Sossuvlei, I personally know the two guys who were dragged around the site and managed to not get killed. Their respective companies were looking for replacement crew when I arrived 2 days later. That particular hyaena was tracked down and found to be an old sick individual male and was subsequently shot.

The story about the Japanese tourists; this has happened more than once in South African reserves with the papers actually publishing video captures from the deceased's last video clip. Friends of mine working as rangers have also had to go out and deal with the situation when it got reported.

You'll be astonished by the things people do when they're out in game reserves - I've actually had to take clients aside and threatened to kick them off a trip because they're endangering all aboard.

But yes, the myth's will also remain - strengthened by the guides and rangers to try and instill some caution in their clients.

Cheers
Marcell