Me and a Lion ... Up Close and Personal

Yes, I am one of those. A hugger of trees, a planter of seeds, a lover of all things nature. Of course, I feed all the critters scurrying around our backyard as well as the birds who hang out in our trees.

Speaking of trees and much to my delight, I am surrounded by trees outside our home and enjoy tending to the plants enhancing the inside of my home.

Indeed, my energy comes from nature, whether I'm looking at it or surrounded by it physically. I love the calm, the serenity, and the beauty. In fact, I'd much rather listen to the songs of birds, the rippling of water, and the rustle of leaves than indulge in chit-chat about the weather with fellow beings.

Which brings me to why I prefer travels that take me to places unspoiled by mortar, bricks, steel, and architectural genius ancient or otherwise.

Don't get me wrong. I essentially do love civilization to the extent that I actually live in it and have over the years marveled at the extent of human creativity from Roman aqueducts to glass office buildings.

But to be in a wilderness, to see nature wild in its own unspoiled habitat can bring unbridled, breath holding joy to the spirit that no walls or spires ever could. At least for me, that is.

I have traveled many places to enjoy the unique wonders and adventures that nature will share. But it was one particular safari, among several, to Africa that gifted me with my most memorable and greatest adventure of all. It was in Namibia, a former German colony that only gained independence in 1990.

My group had traveled through South Africa, through Botswana and Zimbabwe to reach Namibia. There we would be traveling on a river boat along the Zambezi River, with stops along the way.

One stop took us to a lion orphanage; a place where motherless cubs were nurtured, taught to hunt, and eventually released into the wild to thrive.

As we entered the compound, we were given a tall 'walking stick' by our guide who was accompanied by four assistants, each with a very large rifle. The scene startled me for a bit, but anxiety subsided quickly. I was on an adventure after all!

As we walked through the encampment, our guide discussed the purpose of the orphanage, how the young lions were treated as they grew, and the process of training to ready them for the wild.

He explained to us how the lions we would see were currently accustomed to humans and we should have no fear of them. But, hey, you never know. Right? Therefore...rifles, which we later learned were powerful stun guns. The idea, after all, was to keep the cubs and adolescent lions alive to replenish a diminishing lion population.

Suddenly before us, there was a group of lions. We were so close to them; I stopped breathing for several seconds ... I'm sure I did. They were stunning.

I had been close to lions before but had been traveling in jeeps during those times. This time, I was walking among them, big stick in my hand. Our guide gently assured us we were safe among these lions.

One lion was drinking water from a stream. Two others were lying together as one groomed the other, while the one being groomed wagged its tail to shoo away flies.

"They look like cats," I thought. "Right, genius, they ARE cats," I answered myself.

One lion was lying under the shade of a tree. Our guide asked who wanted to pet the lion. Of course I volunteered. Why not? "What an adventure," I thought.

I took my big stick - a man with a rifle accompanied me - and walked toward the lion under the tree. The lion gave me a glance, and a once over, then put its head back down on its paws at rest again.

I slowly put my hand on the nearly 200 lb., maybe three and a half foot long lion's back and started to stroke it. I expected the lion to feel soft like a kitten. Instead, I almost flinched at its steel-wool-like coat. I continued to stroke this amazing beast and felt tears welling up behind my eyes.

"Talk to the lion," our guide suggested. So I did.

"You are beautiful," I said to the lion and continued a short dialogue whispering about how I was sorry it lost its mother, was happy it was being cared for, repeated again and again how beautiful it was, and how I never dreamed I would ever be petting a real lion. I said "thank you, beautiful beast."

Laying my stick beside me, I put both my hands on the lion's back. It was making a very deep purring sound.

To pet a lion. Who would have thought? My unexpected adventure turned out to be the greatest adventure of my lifetime. At least so far it has.