- A Limpopo contractor came home to find about six lions lounging on the patio of his father's newly-built house.
- The house is at Leadwood Big Game Estate, where animals roaming the yard are a common sight.
- The video and pictures have received over 2 000 Facebook shares.
A Limpopo businessman got a roaring surprise when he visited his father's house, which is on sale, at Leadwood Big Game Estate and found uninvited guests - lions had set up camp on the veranda.
Contractor David de Beer took to Facebook this week to share a video, which has since gone viral, of about six lions lounging on the veranda with only glass separating him from the pride of lions.
"My father built the house on Leadwood and put it on the market and over December and the holiday season, it stood empty. So on Monday, we went to have a look to see if things were OK at the house and when we arrived we noticed the tail through the window from the front door and we opened the door slowly and that's when we noticed the lions sleeping on the patio," he told News24 on Thursday.
In a series of videos and photos - which have received over 2 000 Facebook shares - a calm De Beer enters the house with camera in hand and when the new tenants spot him they appear to get a bit of a fright and pack up shop.
WATCH | Black mamba grips snake catcher around the neck
"It's not common that they lay on the patio like that, but we are used to having animals around so we were just cautious when we went in because they could come through that glass."
Social distancing was definitely not an issue in this case.
"We just kept our distance and made sure if anything happened, we could get to the front door quick enough," he said.
De Beer has been building a house on the Hoedspruit estate, which is surrounded by a big game reserve, for nearly two years.
"The houses are built on stands but they are in the bush, so there are no fences between the house and you don't actually see your neighbours because they are far enough from you and there is just bush around you so the animals are able to roam free between the houses," he said.
"They are wild animals but they are careful around humans so they won't come for you unless you corner them. One just needs to be cautious; you always have to have a vehicle near you.
"I wouldn't go walking on the reserve, it's not a reserve where you can go jogging or cycling… you have to be on a game viewer," he said.