Video: Sam Billings meets lions on England tour

Sam Billings led a group of England Lions players into a hands-on encounter with real lions in a memorable experience on the outskirts of Bloemfontein. Billings was one of the Lions players who seized the opportunity to head out of town on a day off before the start of the one-day series against South Africa A, and have a look at some native wildlife.

But none of them had any idea what lay in store. After a walk around a game park spotting giraffes, ostriches and various antelope in fierce afternoon heat, the group moved on to Bagamoya, a lion reserve run by Botha and Sharine Barnard – two successful local attorneys whose former clients include Hansie Cronje.

Billings and the rest of the players watched in awe as Botha entered an enclosure occupied by Geronimo, a male white lion, and his two females, and talked calmly, if watchfully, of his love of lions as they wandered around him. The Barnards created the sanctuary in 2002 after their eldest male, Bongani, was brought to them having been injured, and their priority is preserving the genes of Cape lions which are threatened by hunting.

But the highlight was to come, as the players were invited to join Botha in a smaller enclosure shared by a group of young lions, a couple of large dogs and even a wolf. “It was an amazing experience,” said Billings, who also made friends with a much younger lion cub which was recently rescued from floods by the Barnards, and currently cohabits with two spaniels and a meerkat.

Today he returned to the serious business as the Lions squad began white-ball training ahead of the start of a five-match one-day series against South Africa A at Bloemfontein’s Chevrolet Park on Sunday – with the 15 players in the Lions squad all desperate to earn selection.