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SOUTH AFRICA — If you're a wildlife manager in Africa, you probably have a few major fears that include angry elephants, charging hippos and hidden crocodiles. But each of those scenarios, while scary, hopefully happens when there's enough space between you and animal that you can assess the situation and get away.
What about times when you're literally holding a sedated lion and it wakes up? That seems downright terrifying.
This startling scene unfolded in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in July last year. A crew was attempting to move a sedated lion but it woke up sooner than expected. I know that I'm a total grump when I wake up from a nap, so I can't even imagine how this poor lion felt.
Also, I'd like to know who was shooting this video. Judging by their reaction, they thought it was the funniest thing ever. If it had been me shooting the video, I would've dropped my phone in a panic and locked myself inside the nearest vehicle.
The good news is that everything turned out OK in this situation. The crew members escaped, unharmed, and the lion was successfully relocated.
