Check out this video of a ‘curious’ lion pride on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater. The relatively small crater floor (roughly circular and about 10 miles in diameter) is almost a self enclosed ecosystem and contains plenty of grazing and browse along with permanent water sources. The resulting herbivore population (mainly zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and gazelle) supports 3 – 4 lion prides whose individuals rarely leave the crater floor for the duration of their lives.

Due to constant exposure to tourist vehicles, generation after generation of lions have become habituated to safari vehicles. While game driving the floor of the crater on a warm and sunny day, it is a common occurrence to have several lions retreat to the shade of your vehicle. However, having lions actively and curiously interacting with the vehicle as shown in the video is certainly very unusual but it does demonstrate why a few years back the park authorities banned open sided vehicles from from entering the crater.