Woman Wakes Up To Lions Licking Water Off Her Tent

Ahh. There's nothing like waking up to the quiet still of a cool early morning, when birds begin to stir from sleep to greet the dawn and the soft light of a new day pours gently through the window, you know, past the group of lions gathered outside eagerly licking your tent.

Wait - what?!

Well, that about describes what happened to Francie Francisca Lubbe on a recent camping trip in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, in Botswana. After an evening of rain, three thirsty lionesses decided to stop by and quench their thirst with the drops of water on her fabric abode while she watched from inside.

Such a close encounter might be hard to believe had Lubbe not caught the whole thing on camera.

While some might have been unnerved by the unexpected visit, Lubbe called it a privilege. Writing on Facebook, big cat conservationists Dereck and Beverly Joubert say that's just the right outlook:

"Too often people panic and behave badly when lions approach in the wild. I appreciate what these travelers did and how they responded, with calm and appreciation. Well done. The lions were licking dew or moisture off the tent apparently and not a threat in any way so the reaction is absolutely appropriate and their appreciation of the absolute privilege is fantastic."

And what a fantastic photo opportunity as well!

For the record, we'd be happy to lend our wet tents to some thirsty lions any time, too.