Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve

The day before the SAHARA conference began, I visited the Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve (click the post title to link to their website). The reserve is located in the southern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa, right near the "Cradle of Humankind," a World Heritage Site. According to the website, the Cradle of Humankind is comprised of 12 limestone caves.

"At least seven of the twelve sites have yielded hominid remains. In fact, together these cave sites have produced over 850 hominid fossil remains, so that to date they represent one of the world's richest concentrations of fossil hominid bearing sites.The scientific value of this area lies in the fact that these sites provide us with a window into the past, to a time when our earliest ancestors were evolving and changing. Scientists have long accepted that all humans had their origins in Africa."

I wasn't really interested in the ancient history of the region on this particular day, however, because I was headed to the Rhino & Lion Reserve TO PET BABY LIONS. Yes that's right.

TO PET BABY LIONS.

...and a Cheetah named Eddie......

...and a baby Hippo (yes this is a baby. Hippos get HUGE)....

...but mainly LIONS....