How Close Do You Get to Animals on Safari?

I still remember my first time seeing lions in the wild, many a year ago.  Heart pounding, bumhole clenched, while a lion looked directly through me like I’d just wandered into the wrong gender toilets.  That eye contact stays with you.  There’s no glass or barrier.  Just you, a vehicle, and something that could absolutely ruin your day if it felt like it.  Sadly, it will never feel like that again.  That first hit is a one-off.  After that, seeing lions feels less like a jump scare and more like bumping into old school friends.

A few people I’ve spoken to have said, after their first safari, “I didn’t expect to get that close.”  So yes, you can get close.  Often very close.  But it’s not random, it’s not reckless, and it’s not because guides have a death wish and have given up on life.

Animals in the best safari areas are used to vehicles.  Somehow, they accept the metal box and choose to ignore the bag of flesh perched on top of it.  You’re essentially furniture.  Through years of habituation, animals decide how close a vehicle can get, whether you can approach on foot, and how long they’ll tolerate you before deciding it has better things to do.  The experience varies wildly depending on species, location, and how well that habituation has been managed.  Even in the best areas, some animals remain skittish for reasons known only to themselves.  Maybe they caught a glimpse of Real Housewives or saw what we did to Twitter.  Who could blame them?

But enough about facts.  Let me talk about me.  To give you a sense of what “close” can actually mean, here are a few of mine.

Wild dogs (on foot)

Yes, one of Africa’s most successful predators allows you to just casually hang out with them, like their name suggests – even though they’re not actually related to dogs.  There are no reported incidents of them ever hurting a human, so I guess we’re all just testing that theory.

These are my favourite animal, and probably my most memorable safari experience came from my close – very close – encounters with a pack in Zimbabwe, when one came in for a sniff.

Gorillas (very, very close)

You’re meant to keep distance.  They disagree.

I’ve had them brush past me, grab at my clothes, and generally behave like I was just another inconvenient tree in their way.  It’s extraordinary.  Also slightly unsettling when you remember they could fold you in half without much effort.

Chimpanzees (~2 metres, briefly)

More erratic, less tolerant, and generally less interested in you.  In Rwanda they tend to keep their distance or move off quickly.  You get moments, not prolonged encounters.  I’ve heard in parts of Tanzania they’re a bit more relaxed about proximity, so maybe you’ll be able to Project X moment you’ve always wanted.

Cheetah walks (a few metres away on foot)

I thought I was an experienced safari goer, and then suddenly I’m being invited to walk with cheetahs.  Truly extraordinary.  You’re walking alongside them, a few metres away, watching something built for speed occasionally stare at you.  It’s surreal.  And yes, you do occasionally question whether this is a good idea.

Habituated meerkats (on your head)

They use you as a viewing platform.  Not metaphorically.  Literally.  At one point I had one standing on my head, scanning for predators like I’d been promoted to termite mound.

Rhino (touching)

I have touched three wild rhinos in my life.  Both literally and, I presume, spiritually.  One was at the epic Ol Jogi, at their conservation centre, another two were during conservation efforts with rhinos, where I happened to be nearby at the time.

Elephants (closer than feels necessary)

I’ve had a trunk come into the vehicle.  Which sounds charming until you realise how large the rest of the animal is attached to it.  I’ve also had one get offended at my existence when I bumped into it on the walk back to my room and I’m quite sure it was trying to shoo me away.  I’ve also walked with them in Zimbabwe and Amboseli National Park, when the famous (and sadly recently deceased – from natural causes) Craig walked past me as I lay on the floor to take this picture.  Truly a moment. 

Lions (on foot)

Tracking lions on foot sounds like an absolutely terrible idea.  The good news is: your instincts are correct.  It probably is.  But I’ve done it.  And didn’t even get a medal.

Everything else

I certainly remember a guide we once had in Botswana showing us how safe it was in the vehicle, by dangling his hand and letting a hyaena sniff him.  We thought we might have to drive him to hospital, but alas, nothing.  Not sure what happened to the fella though.  Either retired, dead or mysteriously wandering the bush without any fingers.

I’ve had lions use the vehicle for shade, cheetahs sink their claws into the spare tyre, and wild dogs eat something beneath the car.  It doesn’t all need to be predators, though, like when a herd of elephants surrounds the car and just accepts you, it’s truly beautiful.  Basically, in a lot of cases, you can get metres away, sometimes so close that your brain starts suggesting deeply stupid ideas like reaching out to touch them.  Do not listen to your brain.

Conclusion

So, how close is normal?  Probably closer than you think.  But always controlled.  And importantly, you’re never forced into anything.  If you want distance, you get distance.  If you want to hang back and observe through binoculars like a sensible person, that’s entirely an option.  If, on the other hand, you’re like me and wondering if the lion might accept you as a flatmate, at the right place, with the right guides, you’re in luck.