Footage showing tourist bumping lion with vehicle sparks outrage

Footage showing a motorist bumping into a lion in South Africa’s Kruger National Park has enraged social-media viewers.

“What a selfish inconsiderate idiot!” Lion Lovers exclaimed Friday via X, calling on the park to ban the motorist. “It’s a disgrace that people behave like this.”

The incident occurred during a traffic jam caused by lions walking on a highway. These “lion jams” typically attract crowds of tourists eager to view and photograph the animals – but usually in a respectable manner.

What a selfish inconsiderate idiot!!@SANParksKNP have you seen this, this person should not be allowed in any national park, no respect shown, its a disgrace people behave like this, number plate is visible
Happened on the H1-4 between Satara and Olifants

Safraaz Suliman FB pic.twitter.com/PPAngMcSbB

— LION LOVERS (@LIONLOVERS5) August 9, 2024

The footage, captured by Safraaz Suliman, shows the truck rolling toward and nudging the startled cat’s rear as if to clear a prime observation spot.

“Hard to watch. This driver should get a lifetime ban from any national park,” reads a comment beneath the Lion Lovers post.

“Disgusting behavior,” another viewer complained.

Kruger is billed as the “flagship of the South African National Parks” and tourists are allowed to tour the park in their own vehicles.

However, animals have the right of way and motorists are required to exercise extreme caution when in close proximity to wildlife. Any action that alters an animal’s behavior – such as bumping it with a vehicle – might be considered illegal harassment.

The Lion Lovers tweet tagged Kruger National Park, but at the time of this post it remained unclear if the park planned to investigate.