Wild animals do roam the streest in Africa!

I'm often asked the weirdest questions when people from other countries hear I live in South Africa.

Most questions are about the wildlife, the houses we live in and the suburbs. The most common questions are usually about whether the wild animals roam the streets freely, especially lions. Do we live in mud huts? Do we have electricity (this one floors me every time)? And mindbogglingly, can they pet the lions in the streets?

Recently I told a foreigner that we had spent a few days in the Kruger Park. She was over the moon excited and bombarded me with questions about the whole experience.

A few that stood out : If it was possible to get out of your car (after asking if we had cars) and touch the animals like you would in a petting zoo (ja sure you can, just don't expect to come out of the experience with your life intact). Again with the do wild animals walk around in the street we lived in? How do we get around from place to place? (the elephants are in for resoling their feet).

A few days after our email exchange, I sent her the link to a story that made the front page two days running. Panjo, an 18 month old hand reared tiger, had escaped out of the bakkie (ute, utility vehicle, SUV, double cab) of his owner one night and was missing for three days not very far from where we live.

Then on Sunday, a crocodile was caught in a gated and fenced housing estate not far from where we live.

I suppose that now I cannot lie when people ask if the wildlife roam the streets.