You can’t leave that lion there: big cats nap on road in South Africa amid lockdown

Lions and other wild animals have been taking advantage of the peace and quiet in South Africa’s vast Kruger national park as the country’s strict lockdown continues, reported the Guardian.

On Thursday, park ranger Richard Sowry took photographs of pride of at least eight lions, including a few young cubs, snoozing on the tarmac just outside one of the park’s rest lodges.

Kruger media officer Isaac Phaala told the BBC the lions would normally be in the bushes but that they were “very smart and now they are enjoying the freedom of the park without us”.

The lions liked the road because it was dry, Phaala said.

In a Twitter post, the park explained that the pride was not usually resident in areas of the park open to tourists – let alone accustomed enough to cars to generally sleep in the middle of the road near a busy exit and entrance.