Lions lions lions

Last night Annika and I went for a special walk around sunset. First we stopped at Zion and Trust's place and talked with them for awhile. They've gotten to the point where they rub their cheeks on the fence and I rub my cheek against theirs when we greet. Nothing between my face and the face of a full grown lion with a mane and enormous teeth except thin wire.

Then we walked to see the Brothers. They've just recently decided that these 3 guys are too big and powerful to walk with people any more. (They recently took down a filmmaker who was here and could have really hurt him just with their weight.) So they miss people a lot and came running when I called "Come! Come! Come!" They were so happy to see us. They kept making lion sounds--hard to describe the way they "talk" when they're happy, but it sounds sort of like a giant, deep-throated dog who is attempting to talk human. We spent awhile with them--they were sad to see us go. Here's a picture of one last spring when I was here.

Then we moved on to the back of the enclosure where Macho, Simba and their three cubs were. The cubs and Simba were all lying along the fence, so we plopped ourselves down and "talked" with them as well. Then Annika said they sometimes run with her along the fence, so I jumped up and gave it a try.

It was amazing. Two of the cubs jumped up and ran with me, just a few feet from me on the other side of the fence. I'd run fast and they'd keep up. Then I'd stop, and they'd stop. Then I'd switch directions and so did they. It was a fun game for them, and I was laughing so hard I could hardly breathe (and I was running, after all).

Then when one of them looked away at a sound I jumped toward the fence and yelled "HA!" He jumped back and let out a baby lion roar. It was hilarious--I actually scared him.

Then we completed the circle and ended up with Zion and Trust again--and this time I ran with Trust. I was running the fastest I could and he was just loping along. It made me realize that outrunning a lion is a CRAZY thought. Your only chance in the wild would be outrunning at least one other person--then you'd avoid being dinner.

We got back to the lapa for dinner about 40 minutes late for dinner--where Cornelia and Willi were waiting for us. But it didn't matter. I felt ALIVE and QUIVERING with energy. Lions do that to me. They are astounding creatures.

Today I'm saying good-bye to all my babies until the next trip. I leave tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.--drive to Windhoek airport, fly to Jo-Burg, then 16 hours to NYC, and finally to Raleigh, NC, arriving Christmas Eve in the afternoon. It's been a great three weeks. I was hoping Harnas would work its magic on me by making me feel strong, resilient, and optimistic about life, and sure enough it has. Just yesterday I was suddenly filled with this immense feeling of happiness and thought, "I can handle whatever life throws at me. I am Woman Who Runs With Lions. Hear me Roar!"

See you on the other side of the world. --Barbara

Final entry from Harnas

At first when I decided to do this blog, it was going to be about Harnas only, and when I left for my other two adventures, I would quit. Several people have suggested to me that I continue to write, though, so I think I'll do that.

If you want to hear about Harnas only, you can stop reading after this entry, but if you want to hear more of Barbara's World Tour 2010, read on. I'm heading to Thailand from here to be with my brother for 3 weeks. We'll be scuba diving and jungle trekking. We'll see sharks and other fish, elephants, monitor lizards, snakes, tigers, and monkeys--so the animal tales will continue. Everywhere I go, I seem to find animals. It's my Karma.

After that, I head to Borneo for 23 days. That's the place for orangutans, monkeys, dwarf elephants, bushbabies, crocodiles, and many many beautiful birds. I'll be jungle and river trekking into a place I've never seen but have always been curious about. My friend Amy, from Winston-Salem, NC--will be joining me for part of that, and I imagine we'll experience things people might be interested in.

I'm very sad to leave Harnas, even though three months is a relatively long time. The people are special to me, of course, but as always it's the animals that will tug on my heart. I've gotten used to spending part of each day lying around with cheetahs, playing with baboons, and talking to lions. And that's just the beginning of the animals I'll miss. My shadow Pickles--what a sweetie.

As a special treat on Saturday night, Frikkie took me and Annika out to hear the lions roar. One of the biggest and most vocal lions is Macho--father of twelve and very proud of it. He and Frikkie had a real conversation, and I recorded it. Listen carefully: Frikkie is telling Macho to "tell this American that you're angry she is leaving." Macho complies. But then Frikkie also points out that Macho is just pretending to be angry: you can tell by looking at his paw, which is tucked under him the way house cats do. Macho is a good actor.

Hope you enjoy the last Harnas video. I'll talk to you next from Bangkok. --Barbara

Zion and Trust

When I was a volunteer here in Feb of 2007, the first lions I ever got to touch, walk, and fall in love with were a pair of brothers named Zion and Trust. I'll never forget that first time riding in the back of a truck with the year-old lions, bouncing around on the dirt roads, the lions stepping on my toes and pushing their heads into my face.

And Trust was the first lion ever to jump me, grabbing me around my waist with his huge paws and sliding down my legs with his teeth gently biting just hard enough to leave a bruise but not break the skin. You never forget your first lion "attack."

Now they're about 4 years old, out in an enclosure away from the farm, massive in size with nearly-full manes. And last night I got to spend a little time with them.

There's a young artist here named Annika Funke (see picture)--painter, poet, photographer--who is not only extremely talented but has a heart that animals respond to intensely. Last year when she was visiting, she literally fell in love with Trust and Zion (but especially Trust) and spent many nights sleeping outside their enclosure, painting, drawing, and more. Trust would slip his huge paw under the gate and the two would hold "hands" while they slept. A connection is between them that is hard to describe, but I got to see it a little last night.

Around 4:30 yesterday afternoon I saw Marieta and her granddaughter Nica in the golf cart going somewhere. I asked if I could go along (always fun). Then we picked up Annika at the gate. We visited the vervet monkey enclosure to inspect some work going on there, and then I tentatively asked Marieta, "Can we go visit Zion and Trust?"

Off we zoomed, both Annika and I with bright expectant eyes and smiles on our faces. Once we were there, Annika pushed it further, "Can we stay for awhile?" Marieta nodded and took off with Nica, leaving us outside the gate with the two lions pushing and rubbing and trying to get to us, but not to hurt us.

Zion and Trust tolerated me just fine. I got to pet them through the fence while they rubbed their magnificent heads into my hands. But Annika! I know I'm a writer and should be able to describe what happened, but I think it's beyond words. Trust immediately recognized her from last year, practically bent in the fence trying to reach her hand and kisses. Then he lay down next to the fence and they pressed up against each other--all the while "talking" to each other in this magical language lions have.

After a couple of hours, the sun began to set in one of the most colorful and dazzling sunsets I've seen as we began our walk back to the farm. Then all the lions on Harnas began their nightly roaring to each other, marking their territories by signaling to all the other lions where each is. Roaring came from every side and we just had to stand there in the orange and pink light and listen and listen and listen.

I thought about trying to tape it, but it's impossible to record the sound because you not only hear it, you FEEL it in your chest. It's deep and rumbling and like a physical force that enters your heart. Instead I'll include a short clip of Zion and Trust with Marieta, Frikkie, and me in January just so you can see how massive they are--and loving.

It's magical moments like this that fill my memories of Harnas. The things you don't plan for--they just happen, and when they're over I say, "No matter what happens in my life, I'll always have that."

All Babies Grow UP

When I was last here, in December of 2008, there were four new little lion cubs that had been born in September of that year. That's me in the picture holding Brad (named after Brad Pitt--You can imagine how all the women wanted a picture hugging Brad).

But all babies grow up. Fortunately, Brad and his two brothers (one, unfortunately, died when his intestine was punctured by a bone he swallowed) have grown into sweet, gentlemanly lions who are called by all "The Brothers."

Since Willi and Cornelia have arrived, I've spent much more time with the Brothers since Willi loves them as much as I do--and it's always good to go into their enclosure with another person. (Even though they're very tame, if they decided to "play" by pouncing on me, being alone wouldn't be a good thing.)

So every day Willi and I go into the enclosure and give the Brothers some serious loving--hugging, petting, and even kissing them on the nose. I know some of you out there are saying, "Barb's finally lost it," but those who have been at Harnas know what an amazing thing it is to be close to a giant carnivore, especially ones as serene and dignified as these boys.

Eventually--when they get sexually mature--male lions pretty much become unapproachable. They kick and roar and generally get all crazed when humans come into their territory (like in one of my earliest blogs about Sher Kahn). But right now I love to take advantage of the sweetness of these wonderful lions. It's a memory I'll take with me forever.

And now a word from our sponsor: The book I've written on Marieta and Harnas, SOUL OF A LION, is already on Amazon.com--as a preorder. When I received word of this from National Geographic, I went to the website and found it. I can't tell you how thrilled and proud I felt to be officially part of the Harnas family. Since I'm donating half my profits back to Marieta, I can feel good about saying I hope the book sells a million copies. This place deserves to be noticed and supported. Think:Christmas Gifts!

Frikkie the Lion Man

I haven't talked enough about Frikkie von Solms, Marieta's cousin and the director of the Volunteer Program. Frikkie is unlike anybody I've ever met. He brings to mind all the old cliches: tough as nails being the most accurate. He's built like a piece of beef jerky but he's not as tender.

Every volunteer who comes here (and every guest, too) is changed somehow by Frikkie. They see him as a father figure or a slave driver, but it's hard to get away from Frikkie the same as before you met him.

Two of his favorite lines that the volunteers hear from him are (1) Run like hell! (He hates dawdlers) and (2) I might kill you, but you will learn!

One of his most amazing character traits is his unbelievable bond with animals--especially lions. He says he understands people better because he understands animals--or maybe it's the other way around. I get confused. But whatever--he will "get" you before anybody else does.

Recently I went on a lion walk with the "Babies"--four not-so-small lions who are not-so-well-behaved because they are youngsters still. They love to go OUT on the walk, but when it's time to get back into the truck, they are often--well, let's just say they're reluctant. And it's no easy feat to convince lions to do anything they don't want to do.

So they were behind us humans in the group, straggling far behind us, actually, so we had to keep calling "Come! Come! Come Lions!" They ambled along.

Suddenly, the truck approached us to take us all back to the enclosure. The lions became even more reluctant. UNTIL, out the of the car stepped Frikkie.

Let me just say that it isn't just Frikkie who loves the lions. It is a mutual adoration society. They LOVE him. They, like the volunteers, are drawn to this man. They heard his voice. They saw his stick-thin silhouette against the sunset.

And they came bounding toward him--four lions at over 200 pounds each.

By the time I could get the camera out, they were all over him, giving him the only kind of loving a lion knows how to give--a gentle mauling. And nobody loved it more than Frikkie.

Admit it: you wish it was YOU under all those pelts.

Babies that aren't so small

Yesterday afternoon I went on a walk with the "Babies" but don't get the wrong idea. They're anything but babies. They're four lions that are called that to differentiate them from the "Brothers"--3 male lions that were born first. Then less than a year later came these four--2 males and 2 females. Right now I figure they're about 75-80 kg each--approximately165-175 pounds--not exactly infants.

They're better behaved than they used to be, but for some reason, they thought my camera was a toy and "tested" me by attacking me over and over. (Maybe it was because it's red?) No claws or teeth (okay, one time--in the video with the lion in the tree--my pants got torn in the back and I got a scratch on the back of my leg, but I'm still not sure if it was a lion claw or a big thorn.)

Anyway, the whole hour and a half we were walking, they tried to tackle me. When I got home and loaded the videos into my computer, I had to laugh and laugh. It looks like one of those Animal Attacks programs you see on cheesy television--especially when you view them over and over.

So I'm going to include three of them so you can get the idea. Let it be known that I never let them get the best of me. Never screamed. Never ran. But I did protest a lot.