Tours and Tickets
Walk with Lions - Zimbabwe
5

Walk with Lions - Zimbabwe

By Wildlife Encounter
About
Make memories of a lifetime whilst contributing to the most crucial conservation of the African Lion.
Read more

Ages 15-90, max of 24 per group
Duration: 1h
Start time: Check availability
English, Spanish


  • Snacks
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
What's not included
  • Merchandise and Lion walk footage


Departure details
  • Traveler pickup is offered.
  • Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Our booking office is located next door to Shearwater Cafe
  • Hotel pickup is offered. View the hotel list on our checkout page to see if yours is included among the pickup points.
Return details
  • Returns to original departure point

  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 200928P1

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers

  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 200928P1

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About the operator
Wildlife Encounter
1,112
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Joined in September 2008

#10 of 221 Tours & Activities in Victoria Falls
  • RaymondG771
    RaymondG771
    0
    0
    The best activity in Vic Falls! A MUST SEE for Lion Lovers
    A terrific experience! Great to see the big Lion and Lionesses. The vehicle provided perfect photo opportunity- the Hyena walk was great. The last Feeding of The Beasts was out of this world..to see these lions feed and roar was out of this world. a MUST SEE activity . Food was really tasty too.
  • John D
    John D
    0
    0
    Liontastic!
    They don't do the walking with lions anymore, but the time we had there was amazing. You are very well looked after and the groups are small, so it feels more special. The enclosure was amazing, but the lion feeding was incredible. You are just a few feet from them. Incredible. We also saw and learnt about hyenas. Totally recommend
  • Christopher V
    Christopher V
    0
    0
    Afternoon Lion Encounter
    Visited here to see the lions up close - a great experience for the feeding. The tour guide directly disturbed resting lions when he intentionally drove the vehicle up to the lions to get them yo jump and wake up. That's a poor move in all regards and why this place did not get five stars.
  • lvcolombo
    lvcolombo
    0
    0
    Lion Encounter
    The feeding of the big cats was amazing and I doubt you will ever be able to see it anywhere else. AMAZING. What wasn't amazing was our guide. He was trying to get up close to the lions with the vehicle to get them to move for a photo op. NOT cool. We kept telling him it was good enough but not for him. The lions didn't want to get up, but he pushed. The other thing was the guide bullied my husband at the end of tour for better tip. We gave $20 for a 2 hour tour and he wanted more. NOT cool. Then at then end they gave us a survey to fill out and stood there while you were trying to fill it out. NOT cool again, uncomfortable. So in my husband's eyes the NOT cool outweighed the COOL. But the COOL was the feeding.
  • carolpJ1009BG
    carolpJ1009BG
    0
    0
    A must do
    Absolutely loved this. They no longer offer the walk, but riding into the lion pride enclosure was nice to see them up close and personal. However, the feeding of the male lions was superb. To see the power of these majestic animals was just amazing. I could watch and listen to them all day. They may not offer the walk any longer, but this is a fantastic replacement.
  • Bidule005
    Bidule005
    0
    0
    Unique and unforgettable experience!!!
    We visited the African Lion & Environmental Research Trust in October 2018. It is located close to Victoria Falls town. The driver picked us at our hotel to the research trust, where we could walk with lion cubs. Because lions are endangered in Zimbabwe, after 24 months-old, the lions are released safely in a reserve where there are few lions, where they are checked all the time by rangers, to be sure that they are able to hunt and to live safely in the wildlife. CONGRATULATIONS!!! At the arrival, we saw a video explaining us the aims of the trust, and the reasons why they have planned to release lions in the wildlife. It was very interesting!!! You can ask all the questions to the rangers after the video. After, we were allowed to walk with rangers with two 13-months old lions (brother and sister) and to have a contact activity; we were a small group of 9 persons. It was a unique and unforgettable experience!!! Altogether, I highly recommend to visit the trust to support lions survival in the wildlife in Zimbabwe! I'll come back as a volunteer!
  • BossLigoz
    BossLigoz
    0
    0
    Wildlife Encounter
    If you are an adventurer who is enthusiastic about animals look no further because Wildlife Encounter is the right place for you.
  • Terrytrav777
    Terrytrav777
    0
    0
    An amazing experience
    It was a truly remarkable experience, they're making good conservation efforts and at the same time educating people on the importance of lion and human peaceful cohabitation. The lions appeared to be healthy looking (well fed, good fur, growing quite well as compared to the ones I always see on nat geo wild) and not stressed. The guides knew what they were talking about and I applaud they way they always handled the lions in such a non violent non aggressive way. Overall I truly enjoyed my time with the guides and the lions.
  • M7012GProberts
    M7012GProberts
    0
    0
    See It before Its Gone
    The opportunities to spend quality time with big cats is rapidly disappearing. The various movements in favor of prohibiting physical encounters with wildlife are ascendant and Zimbabwe's lion education centers are not immune to the pressure (even before the Cecil controversy). At the Lion Encounter you will experience a walk with two of four young cats (less than 2 years old) who remain in the encounter program while awaiting release into a conversation reserve elsewhere. The cats will never be "wild" but they are not "tame" either. At best they are socialized. That is why the walk is accompanied by no fewer than 4 handlers to manage the two cats and the guests while another gives the presentation and yet another makes a video for the group to purchase later. It is an important source of funds to have foreign visitors present, and all that they do to protect the cats from human contact is done (hand sanitizer, physical distance, perfumes and odor bans). The draw of the big cats is really irresistible for most people, myself included, and always there is one person who is scared to death. The small group size helps (10 or fewer), and the short walking distance also helps with creating a casual (appearing) interaction with these charming animals.
  • Wanderer517302
    Wanderer517302
    0
    0
    Walking With Lions
    At the end of my month long trip to Africa a friend and I decided to walk with the lions at Lion Encounter Zimbabwe. It was an amazing experience to be able to pet and walk side by side with two juvenile lions. I always felt completely safe because there were many handlers to guide not only the lions but ourselves as well. It had been raining and the lions were extremely playful, frisky and full of energy. We also opted to do the feeding of the large male lions which was an experience all on it's own. In a concrete bunker you are separated from the large male lions and their piles of meat. One of the lions charged at us and the fence we were behind. To come within inches of an aggressive male lion protecting his meal was not only terrifying but exhilarating as well. Wow! This is experience is not a roadside adventure where the animals are drugged and abused. This is a very positive experience and you can see that the animals are well taken care of and loved. The money made goes into conservation of these majestic creatures and helps aid in releasing them back into the wild. It is a reputable establishment and an adventure I highly recommend. I am not sure it is for young children, that would make me a bit nervous as young children can be as unpredictable as lions. If you are ever in Zimbabwe near Victoria Falls do this adventure!
  • jveek
    jveek
    0
    0
    Walk with the lions
    Yes you get to "walk with the lions" however the 2 majestic creatures did not seem interested or thrilled to be in the situation. The walk was less than an hour, it was hot and they just wanted shade and rest. It was very neat to be so close in their presence however I would not do it again nor recommend it, especially for the cost. A video was filmed throughout which seemed unnecessary and in the way of taking own pictures/videos. It was then unwatchable due to difficulties and an additional fee to buy.
  • Scarlette_Williams
    Scarlette_Williams
    0
    0
    Protect Yourself
    When planning our trip to Victoria Falls, this seemed like an exciting activity. But the big question for us was – how do you walk with a lion and not get attacked? Well, we didn’t walk with fully grown lions. (We did, however, get plenty of thorns in our shoes – see photo below – be sure your footwear has thick soles.) These lions are taken from their mothers at a young age and hand-raised by humans, usually paying volunteers, to get them used to being around us. Even so, lions involved in walks with tourists become too aggressive after they are about a year and a half old and will attack. That is why we tourists don’t get to walk with fully grown lions. This activity claims to be a release program. After further research, we found out that no lions have been released, and none ever will be. These lions have lost their natural fear of humans and, if any were released, they would hunt near human settlements where there are no wild lions. This means that either people or livestock (villagers’ primary livelihood) would be eaten, the lions would be declared problem animals, and destroyed. Everyone would lose. This is why lions habituated to humans are not released into the wild. (You can Google “Saving Sirga.” This lioness was rescued and raised by a human, and now can only be released into a range enclosed by an electrified fence to ensure she will not harm anyone and then be killed herself. This range must be 2000 hectares and will cost 86 000 euros – for one lion. Any organization claiming to intend to release whole prides would need vast amounts of both land and cash that do not exist.) Captive lion breeding (they cannot be "rescuing" orphans from the wild in such numbers – lions are far better parents than that) is a huge problem. We found out that there are thousands of captive bred lions, and the African bush is essentially full to capacity with wild lions. Lions need huge territories, will fight and kill interlopers, and have no problems breeding on their own. If there is land, lions will breed and fill it - this is why there is no land available to free prides of captive-bred lions. Lions are a species that do not need any human intervention whatsoever to breed. (Lion Hearted, by Andrew Loveridge, a Zimbabwean biologist talks about this. The famous Cecil, shot in an illegal trophy hunt, was one of his research lions.) If the goal is to have more wild lions, release programs are not needed, only land, but expanding human settlement makes this difficult. Since captive-bred lions cannot be safely released, it seems to us extremely unlikely that they all can be financially supported for the next eighteen plus years of their lives after they can no longer go on tourist walks, especially with new lions having to be bred every year to replace the older ones who are now too aggressive. Instead, we learned that the lions in this industry are typically either sold into canned hunting or the bone trade, or they become breeding stock shut up in small, crowded pens (Google "National Geographic captive bred lions"). As cat lovers, we felt heartsick to find out that lions are being bred as commodities, not as wildlife, which means that the lion must pay for its right to stay. In all likelihood, it will ultimately either be killed or neglected to the point of abuse. Please, do not fall for the false advertising. Kevin Richardson, the Lion Whisperer, used to work in the lion industry and now advocates against it (Google "Lion Whisperer conservation"). He has been able to rescue around thirty captive-bred lions and houses the survivors at a sanctuary. Even though he has personally hand-raised them, and so is able to interact with them, last year one of these lions got away and killed a woman. Lions are dangerous. Adult captive lions who have grown used to humans are probably even more dangerous, and can never know true freedom. Protect yourself, and protect the lions – do not give your money to a scam that is lying to you and killing them. As the founder of the anti-poaching unit told us when we were in Victoria Falls, tourists do have the ability to change things, by choosing to spend money on responsible activities that truly benefit African wildlife. Discover Safaris will not book this activity for its clients, and Wild Horizons has removed lion walks from their website.
  • Helen J
    Helen J
    0
    0
    Amazing experience
    We were able to walk with two young lions after getting instructions from their handlers. I always felt safe, and being so close to these wild animals was exhilarating. We also did the Feast of the Beasts which was amazing as well.
  • A1615MUmichaelv
    A1615MUmichaelv
    0
    0
    Adrenalin pure!
    Walking with the 2 lions was an amazing adventure which we will definitely not forget. It was really great walking with them, and even touch them. Thrilling! Adrenalin pure! We never made such a great experience, and we will repeat this when we come back to this area.
  • PATRICIA J
    PATRICIA J
    0
    0
    Walking with the lions
    This experience was awesome. What a thrill to walk and interact with these magnificent lions. I hope the organization is able to continue on with their work.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

5.0
6 reviews
Excellent
6
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Hasnah1962
Singapore, Singapore2,003 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
It is an awesome experience that is highly recommended if you visit Zimbabwe.
Before the walk, we were told - do not run, do not panic, do not touch the lion's face and ears, do not wear dangly items, so not put anything on the ground, do not crouch, approach the lions from rear, stay in group and stay alert. We were given a stick each to be used to distract or warn the cubs but strictly not to beat them. Walking with the 11months old cubs, watching them play and touching them gave us a sense of connection between the animal and human. It was very educational and we feel happy to be contributing to be part of the program.
The short video made for us is very good to cherish our unbeatable memory.
Written March 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DeepakTailor
London, UK150 contributions
Dec 2019
The staff, the lions, the walk was just spectacular! Highly recommend it to anyone who wants to try this mind-blowing experience!
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks DeepakTailor for your great review. We hope to see you again!
Written January 3, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jenni H
Brisbane Region, Australia164 contributions
Mar 2019
This is an experience of a lifetime. It is definitely bucket list stuff. The staff are fantastic and very caring. The animals are well cared for. There are not enough words to explain this experience - MUST DO IT if you go to Victoria Falls.
Written October 10, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your wonderful review! We will pass on your review to our staff. Thanks so much for your support and hopefully you can visit us again the in the future.
Written October 10, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MarkyMarkTX
Boerne, TX844 contributions
Came here today and I must say this was the most exciting thing that I did while in Africa! Was just so neat to see, pet and walk with the Cubs. I highly recommend it.
Written September 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for your review Mark! We are glad to hear you enjoyed the Lion walk. Thanks very much for your support.
Written October 1, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Walk with Lions - Zimbabwe provided by Wildlife Encounter