‘Cats will be cats’: Lion plays tug of war with safari jeep full of tourists

“Look who came to ‘help’ with our tow rope! Cats will be cats!” the lodge wrote underneath its post, identifying the male as Vuyela. The lion was seen digging his paws into the ground before trying to wrap the rope around a nearby tree for extra leverage, as the vehicle attempted to drive away.

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As the video went viral, many felt it was a careless move, prompting the tourism company to explain that “it wasn’t done to intentionally attract or play with the animal.”

Updating its followers in a Facebook post, the firm said: “The Guide got stuck with guests on his vehicle and had attached the tow rope to get pulled out. Before it could be removed the lion showed up and I guess it instinctively did what cats do.”

The company added that the guide was just trying to get away to be able to remove the rope safely while keeping all parties safe. “He couldn’t with the lion there, nor did he want to provoke a chase by driving off fast with the rope still attached. No harm was done to the lion,” they stressed.

According to the New York Post, the guide realised the lion “wasn’t approaching with anger”; rather, he simply “saw the opportunity to play with something new” and the guide maintained calm while dealing with the wild animal in such proximity.

While some social media users thought the incident was scary, others said it was indeed an unforgettable encounter to be treasured for life.