South African park to bar petting of lion cubs

[...] the focus will be on a "more authentic safari experience" in which tourists view wildlife on guided tours in vehicles, he said.

The Lion Park is one of a number of similar venues in South Africa that are bigger than a traditional zoo and allow animals greater freedom of movement, while guaranteeing that tourists get close-up viewing of predators that are often hard to spot in the wild.

The Lion Park says its lions are not killed in "canned hunting" and are instead donated or sold to zoos and reserves, or looked after by park staff until they die of natural causes.