Senegal: Visitors in caged vehicles observe wildlife

By Fatma Esma Arslan

DAKAR, Senegal (AA) - A wildlife park in Senegal, where visitors in special caged vehicles can get very close to lions, offers a different experience.

The wildlife park Ranch de Bandia, located around 70 kilometers (over 43 miles) from the capital Dakar, use caged vehicles to help visitors get very close to lions wandering in the open space.

So visitors are able to approach the lions, touch them through small windows in the vehicle and even take photos with them.

Cristophe Dering, one of the directors of the park, stressed that the park offers visitors a very unique experience.

"I launched the Ranch de Bandia project with my partner Jack Rezk in January 2017. Visitors here have the chance to get this close to a lion, perhaps for the first time in their lives.

"Instead of confining them to tiny cages in zoos, we put the people in cages, so we respect the animals' living space,” he said.

The park is constantly undergoing improvements to offer better options, Dering said, inviting people to visit Ranch de Bandia.

* Writing by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara.