One of the best things I did in Mauritius (apart from staying in Club Med’s luxurious private villas with our very own butler!) was to visit Safari Adventures and go walking with the 18-month old lion cubs.
Have a look at these two frolicking in the grass and imagine this big lion paw smacked on your face!
South African owner Graeme and his team run this huge 1000 acre park with lion cubs and adults (in a different wide open space area), tigers and cheetah. The cubs have all been abandoned by their mothers in captive breeding facilities in South Africa and were brought here to be raised and in the near future they can be released into the wild, particular the cheetah and tiger which are an endangered species.
Click here for Safari Adventures
Check the website (link above) for latest costs for the 1 hour cub walk through the grasslands, stopping and starting as they get distracted and climb trees, roll around, catch a lizard, bite on their favourite tree stump. There are several handlers walking with you and you are advised to stay behind them, holding your own walking stick to use to nudge them away if need be but spending more time with your camera pressed to your face.
For an extra $10 I recommend you also do the drive through of the adult safari park and see the majestic males with their flowing manes staring at you in the hopes you’ve brought meat.