South Africa animal park where tourists are caged for lion encounter

An American tourist shared footage from inside a cage covered with meat and surrounded by lions in a South African animal sanctuary.

The Marakele 'Lion Mobile' in South Africa is not for the faint-hearted, according to the video taken by Dustin Campbell.

The experience shuts visitors in a cage on the back of an open jeep, places large chunks of meat on top and waits for the sanctuary's lions to hunt it down.

In the video, a large male lion clambers on top of a platform in front of the cage, placing a gigantic paw on the platform before tearing into the meat with its massive teeth.

Soon after a lioness appeared to join for a bite.

A guide told the visitors that the 'two youngsters' were 21 months old. However, the male already weighed between 280 – 300 kg, the guide said.

"In the wild, their average lifespan is about twelve years," the guide continued. "in captivity, they can live up to twenty years."

Suddenly, the male lion leaps onto the top of the cage, just centimetres away from Campbell's head, causing a wave of nervous laughter from the group.

"Oh snap," Campbell says, as the lioness stares directly at him, sniffing at his head.
"I can feel her breathing down my neck."

Looking back up to the male lion, he captures the animal crunching on a bony piece of meat with its strong jaw.

"Is it good buddy?"

When asked how many lions the sanctuary had, the guide replied "fourteen".

Marakele Animal Sanctuary guarantees visitors will have an "interesting and exciting educational experience," which will enrich participants' lives.