19 Hilarious Times Animals Created Total Chaos In Public

Kenya. The jewel in the crown of East Africa. The country is known for its gorgeous sandy, white beaches, scenic landscapes and of course, a vast array of wildlife. More than a million international visitors touched down in the first half of last year alone. Many, in the hopes of going on safari and coming up close with the so-called ‘Big 5’: the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo.

"There are Game Reserves/National Parks that can almost guarantee encounters with the Big 5 if you stay for 3 nights or more," Secret Africa's 'Africa travel expert' Lukas Van Lishout told us during an interview. "In other famous 'Big 5' game reserves, it's almost impossible to find the Big 5 because of the declining numbers of rhino all over Africa."

Van Lishout has the following advice for anyone planning to visit Kenya, or elsewhere in Africa, for a safari: "First of all, listen to your guide. He's trained to keep you safe. Secondly, stay in your vehicle and keep your arms inside the vehicle. No matter if you're self-driving or if you're in an open safari vehicle, it's important to keep your arms and hands inside the vehicle. Last but not least, don't touch the animals, these are wild animals and they are dangerous."

If you’ve ever been to Nairobi, you’ll know the airport is right next to a national park. That park is home to a number of wildlife species, including giraffe, leopard, zebra, buffalo, antelope, lion, black and white rhino, hippo, and crocodile. The park is fenced - but apparently, not well enough.

When I arrived in Kenya's capital city in April 2016, I was greeted by the news that a lion had escaped from the Nairobi National Park and pounced on a man. He’d been part of a group that surrounded the wild animal. The man survived with minor injuries, but the lion, unfortunately, did not.

Rangers took action “as a last resort after an escalation of the situation and a concern for public safety,” said the Kenya Wildlife Service at the time, amid public outcry about why the majestic animal wasn't darted instead.

It wasn't an isolated incident. According to CNN, another man was mauled by an escaped lion on a busy street in the city just days earlier. And the month before that, locals were in a panic after news broke that "several lions" had strolled out of the Nairobi National Park and wandered into nearby neighborhoods. They were reportedly spotted close to a hospital, and some homes before "returning" to their own. There were several other scary situations...

Tragedy struck again last year, when a 14-year-old girl died after being carried away by a lion who had left the park. "The child was snatched from a residential compound on a ranch next to Nairobi National Park," reported the BBC. "The alarm was raised by another teenager and KWS rangers followed tracks to the nearby Mbagathi River, where they found the primary school girl's remains."

Again, there were calls for the authorities to jack up its security. The head of the WildlifeDirect conservation group, Paula Kahumbu, said more needed to be done to protect locals living around the National Park. Kahumbu urged the Kenya Wildlife Service to improve "risk assessments and ensure accurate, real-time communication of wildlife movement and behavior, especially in known high-risk areas such as Savannah Ranch." That's the area where the young girl was from.

At the same time, Kahumbu called on authorities to set up "anti-predator deterrent systems - including lights, alarms, secure fencing, and anti-predator sprays" in all lodges, camps, and residential developments where wildlife frequent.

Meanwhile, further south on the continent, authorities have their own big cat issues to deal with. In April this year, villagers in South Africa's Mpumalanga province were on high alert following news that four lions had escaped from the world-renowned Kruger National Park.

Sightings were reported in several areas, and cattle became victims. Days later, the province's Tourism and Parks Agency confirmed that the lions had been euthanized "to prevent further harm."

That same month, 27 buffaloes reportedly bolted from the Kruger National Park, and traveled around 43 miles into a local village. Needless to say, the incident sent residents into a flat spin.

“I have stayed at this village since birth and I have never seen a buffalo here hence on Monday, we were all shocked to see so many buffaloes within our shores and 'til today, I still cannot believe what we have witnessed. It is unbelievable to how so many buffaloes managed to make their way into our villages,” one local told journalists.

Other residents said they were scared to leave home and had kept their children out of school. One mother spoke of how she'd heard that the wild animals could be aggressive and attack people. It was for this reason she said her daughter would not be attending class.

"I am worried about what might happen to her while she is on her way to the school or what if the buffaloes decide to go near the school? I do not want to take any risks as she is the only child that I have and it is my duty to ensure that she is protected all the time,” Rachel Gadisi told reporters.

In 2019, authorities told people not to panic after 14 lions got out of the Kruger National Park. This time, the lions were roaming a different province. ​​“We need to keep in mind that we are in Limpopo, which is home to 76% of the Kruger National Park, which covers a huge area," said government spokesperson Zaid Kalla at the time.

Kalla explained that large wild animals, like elephants, use the fence of the Kruger or other wildlife facilities to scratch themselves. By doing so, they often leave gaps or push down the fence completely.

“So what often happens is that animals who have consumed the vegetation in a particular area use these damaged fences to venture outside," added Kalla. “In the case of the lions, especially considering how territorial they are, they will typically ‘escape’ through the fence, but they are not aware that they are escaping."

We can't accurately report just how many people were comforted by this thought, and did not panic, as instructed.

In 2020, South Africa's leading conservation authority, SANParks, released a statement, explaining that when they euthanize escaped lions, the decision is not taken lightly. This came after 7 "problem" lions in the Karoo National Park were put down, causing public outcry.

SANParks said in this specific case, the female lion group had left the Park before. A number of sheep from a neighboring farm had become victims. They added that the lions presented a threat to human beings. Secondly, noted the press release, "the pride had familiarised themselves with a specific area from which they escaped and one of the members of the pride had developed a habit of digging underneath fences."

Lions as a species are generally opportunistic, added SANParks. "They prefer easy prey, are extremely fast learners and could easily become habitual live-stock raiders when circumstances allow. In most instances when lions start catching livestock, they also tend to lose their fear for humans; such lions present a danger to human life."

But many argue that it is not a matter of wild animals escaping, but rather human beings encroaching on their habitat. In the case of lions leaving the Nairobi National Park, conservationists argue that they sometime have no choice.

"As one of the fastest growing African cities, property values are increasing in Nairobi, and the park is getting encroached on by lucrative development projects," reported CNN. "The government also started building a highway through a section of the park, agitating the animals with constant noise."

As the South African official noted earlier in this article, lions don't even know they are "escaping." They're just living as they know best. And when they do "escape," it can sometimes spell the end of their life, depending on how nearby residents and authorities handle the situation.

“Predators don’t go around hunting people. When they see people during the day, they run away,” SANParks’ Danie Pienaar once said at a press conference. "When people try to chase the animal or run, it becomes a dangerous situation."

So what should you do if you encounter a lion in the wild, or during a safari? Keep scrolling to find out...

If you happen to be lucky enough to spot a lion while out on a safari ride, you should enjoy the experience, says Van Lishout. "It's an incredible feeling you won't have the chance to feel often in your life, but keep in mind the [abovementioned] safety advice."

There are certain warning signs that will tell you if you've disturbed a pride or startled a lion. According to three experts interviewed by CNN, these include "low growls, eye contact on the part of the lion, defensive posturing as if it looks like it’s setting up for an attack and an erect, swaying tail."

Andre Van Kets is the co-founder and director at safari company Discover Africa. He says that those actions are usually a "warning signal." The lion is letting you know you're coming into their territory and they want you to leave. But while they're telling you to leave, you need to be cautious of how you carry out that order. Don't turn your back and run. And here's why...

Lions are faster than people. According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, they can move between 24 and 37 miles per hour for short bursts. Don't bother to try and outrun them. "Secondly, fleeing indicates to the lion you’re frightened and now possible prey, turning what might have initially been a mock charge to test you into a real attack," the experts told CNN.

Regardless of how terrified you are, they say you should stand your ground. Philip Muruthi is the chief scientist and vice president of species conservation and science of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF). According to CNN, he's spent decades studying lions and other African animals out of his base in Kenya.

Walk away very slowly, advises Muruthi, adding that you should keep eye contact with the lion until you can reach a safe space or the lion loses interest.