When it comes to choosing a vacation destination, some people actually prefer cooling off in a white sandy beach or relaxing in a 5-star luxury hotel. However, some others are all about the adventure. If you belong to the latter, I've got the perfect plan for you: a wild and exciting safari trip! Are you ready?
Photo: Honest to Paws
A Curious Elephant
Elephants are one of the most beautiful and peaceful animals in the world, and you know what? Some people even say that elephants react to humans in the same way that humans react to puppies. If you don't believe me, then how can you explain this picture?
This couple was riding their car through one of South Africa's national parks, when this curious elephant showed up and began sniffing the vehicle with its long tusk. If you take a close look, it almost seems as if it were trying to pet the woman's head!
Time For Lunch!
Did you know cheetahs are the fastest animals in the world? Believe it or not, they can reach maximum speeds of up to 75 miles per hour. That's even faster than my car! For this very reason, cheetahs are antelope's biggest fear.
Taken in Kenya's Masai Mara National Park, this picture features a cheetah flipping upside down in its quest to attack this poor little impala. Cheetahs actually have a very hard time catching their prey, as their hunting success rate is only of 40%. However, in this case, the dashing feline pulled the antelope to the ground just a few moments after the photo was taken.
He's In For A Ride
Lions are the second biggest felines in the world (only after tigers), and the biggest ones in the African continent, thus explaining why they're often regarded as the "Kings of the Jungle". They're also one of the fastest land animals and extremely fierce hunters, so you can imagine why humans fear them so much!
This family was in the middle of their afternoon safari game drive, when suddenly a lion showed up… and jumped straight into the jeep! Actually, lions aren't prone to attacking humans, so if one of these felines ever comes this close, all you need to do is keep calm, or else they may get nervous and attack you! Obviously, this is easier said than done.
Who's There?
If you thought that would be the only lion picture on this list, you couldn't have been more mistaken! Lions are usually regarded as the most aggressive mammal on Earth, but actually, this is far from true. It turns out they're not so fond of human meat, that's why they usually don't even bother attacking us.
Let's take a look at these two lions approaching a safari van. One of the two is seen standing on two legs as he takes a peek through the back window. It almost seems as if he were asking: "Who's there?. It looks like someone wants to make some friends!
Unexpected Friends
As we've said, elephants are the largest land mammals on Earth and they can weigh up to 7 tons. They're also known for being solitary animals, usually leaving their family at the age of 12. But wait a minute… this elephant is not alone! Who's that little pall standing next to his hind leg?
This cute little white bird seems to be making him some company, and if you take an even closer look, you'll spot a chick standing right in front of him. It seems that elephants are not so unsociable after all, they even get along with chicks! For another elephant pic, slide next!
Looking For A Hug
As we've said, elephants aren't too aggressive in nature. But even though they're known for being quite calm, we shouldn't forget they're the largest mammals on Earth! Measuring up to 3 meters and weighing between 3 and 7 tons, they're naturally a potential threat to humans.
In other words, an elephant may kill you by accident, just because of his sheer size! Therefore, one can't help but imagine this young woman's terror when this elephant got so close to her. The woman is seen holding her breath trying not to scream, though it seems that all the creature wanted was a great big hug!
Silly-Billies
Let's take a look at the first picture on this list that wasn't taken in Africa. Taken in northern United States, it features two goofy moose mocking each other… or so it seems! What do you think they're trying to tell each other?
The moose on the left is sticking out its tongue, apparently making fun of his mate, while the one on the left, far from taking offense, just seems to be on the brink of bursting into laughter. Am I the only one who really feels like going on a moose safari after looking at this picture?
It's Play Time
Taken in Kenya, this spine-chilling picture features one male and two female lions playing against each other… although, to be honest, it seems as if they were trying to beat each other up! Yikes!
The thing is, due to their instinctive hunting moves, it's common for lions to have some fun by basically wrestling each other. The only thing I'm gonna say is that I'm glad I wasn't on that safari van. Can you imagine if a lion tried to play that way with a human?
Elephant Gone Mad
While all the previous elephant pictures were taken either in Kenya or South Africa, this one here was taken in Sri Lanka's Yala National Park. Tough luck for this family of tourists! Do you think the elephant was deliberately trying to attack them or simply wanting to have some fun?
Actually, this picture became a trending topic all over the world, and many wildlife experts said he probably wasn't trying to attack them. According to them, he was most likely just trying to reach for some food, but accidentally tripped and nearly tipped the safari jeep upside down.
Hey There!
And here's another crazy picture featuring lions! But unlike the previous photo - which showed a pride of lions fighting against each other -, this feline seems to be more friendly in nature! It appears to be she really didn't want to be left out from the selfie!
I know that the safari guide must be quite used to seeing wild predators all the time, but still, how did he manage to keep on grinning with such a fierce beast right behind him!? It's a pity that the rest of the tourists don't appear on the photo, I would love to see the look on their faces!
What's That Thing On Your Foot?
We've already talked about lions and cheetahs… but what about leopards? Leopards can be found both in Asia and Africa and they're famous for their stunning light-colored fur covered in black spots. But while it's every tourist's dream to spot one of these felines on a game drive, it's better to see them at a safe distance.
What would you do if a leopard came so close to you? And what if he suddenly started toying around with your shoe? I'm not sure if it was actually praying with the shoelace like a normal cat would, or if it was just sniffing around its dinner. I really hope it was the first option!
Rhino Gone Mad
How much do you know about rhinos? These beautiful large mammals can weigh up to 5,000 pounds and can actually outrun any human being, so you should really watch out if you ever spot one in the middle of your African game drive!
Here's an example of a perfectly timed photo that a tourist took in South Africa. How lucky was she? To be honest, I'm not sure whether the rhino is angry or just having fun. What do you think it was chasing? Its pray, maybe?
Is That A Ghost?
This picture is just plain weird. This family was riding their jeep, right about to leave the park and reach the highway, when this group of baboons showed up and climbed on top of their vehicle. What do you think they were trying to do? Hard to say…
Maybe they wanted to have some fun… or maybe they just didn't want them to leave! But the weirdest part about this picture is that since window is so thick, the baboon almost looks like a ghost, don't you think?
Taken By Surprise
Tigers are one of the very few felines that can't be found in Africa, but only in Central and South East Asia. One day, this woman was in the middle of her tiger safari in northern India, when suddenly, she spotted this sneaky little fella.
Tigers are actually the strongest and most aggressive felines out there, but doesn't this creature look harmless? His innocent expression seems to be saying: "I'm sorry! I didn't do anything wrong! I swear!". I guess he just wasn't expecting any company!
It's Nap Time
Remember the picture of the elephant nearly tipping that jeep upside down? Well, this family had even harder luck, if possible! They had booked a private safari in Tanzania, when suddenly, this huge beast appeared right in front of them. But what happened next?
The elephant approached the car and stood on top of it. It's still not clear whether he was trying to attack the vehicle or just inspecting the intruders. Actually, if you look at his face, it seems as though he were thinking of lying down to take a nap! For the sake of the people inside that car, we hope not.
Time To Stretch!
Giraffes are very unique creatures. To begin with, they're the tallest mammals on Earth. They can measure up to 6 meters, and just their legs are taller than any human being. Also, their necks can measure up to 2 meters. Crazy, right?
You know what's even crazier? This bizarre giraffe pic! One can't help but wonder: what on earth was it trying to do? Trying to stretch before her afternoon run, maybe? Or is that simply the way she eats? We're glad that the tourist took this picture, cause it's just hilarious!
Come Here, Doggie Doggie
Ever heard of the African dog? Don't be mistaken, they're nothing like the domestic dogs we're used to! Their legs are much longer, they can run much faster, and of course, they're wild predators! So if you ever go on a safari and spot one of these, please don't try to pet them!
This Australian couple was in the middle of one of their afternoon game drives on their buggy, and they were lucky enough to take this ground-level shot of this herd of African dogs. They seem nice and gentle, but let's not get carried away by appearances!
Half Monkey, Half Lion
Did you know that there's such thing as tree-climbing lions? They can either be found in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda or in Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania. This picture was taken by an Australian family in Tanzania, and it's truly shocking, to say the least!
Naturally, one would never expect to spot an entire pride of lions climbed on the very top of a tree just like monkeys often do. Since these felines live in areas brimmed with dense bushes and trees, they had no choice but to learn how to climb trees in order to catch their prey and avoid starvation.
Selfie With The Cheetahs
A group of friends from Israel was on a game drive in Kenya's Masai Mara National Park, when suddenly, two cheetahs showed up and climbed on top of their car. Far from feeling scared, they grabbed their camera on took what may well be the most impressive selfie ever!
At the same time, a photographer who was just a few meters away took a picture of them while they were on the middle of their selfie session, and guess what? The man won one of the National Geographic wildlife photo contests! How cool is that?
Baby Cheetah
But those Israeli girls weren't the only lucky (or unlucky?) ones to be approached by cheetahs in the middle of a safari. This man was riding through Tanzania's breathtaking Serengeti National Park, when all of a sudden, this baby cheetah jumped straight into the jeep.
A baby cheetah looks way less threatening than a fully grown one, but let's not forget that they can still chew your head off! Luckily, the man was traveling with a well-experienced guy, who helped him keep calm until the cheetah went away on its own.
Photographer Bear
Most of the time, people associate safaris with the African continent, but you can actually go on a safari in almost any country in the world. This picture, for instance, was taken by a tourist on a wildlife safari in the Siberian tundra.
Siberia is one of the very few regions in the world inhabited by polar bears, and these guys were on their lucky day! Not only did they spot a polar bear, but they saw one… taking a picture! I wonder what the owner of all that equipment was thinking… was he thrilled? Or was he terrified at the thought of his super expensive cameras being torn into pieces? A little bit of both, I guess.
Not Another Headache
Obviously, the King and Queen of the Jungle had to appear on the top of our list! Taken in Tanzania, this striking picture features a male and a female lion next to each other, and of course, we can't help but imagine what they're trying to say to each other.
In my opinion, the female lion is covering her face with her paw, saying "Oh my God, not another headache!". The male lion, on the other hand, has a worried expression on his face. Maybe he's worried that her wife is too tired to go and hunt their dinner, which means… it's his time to go to work!
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