Imagine being on your honeymoon, driving through the Australian countryside, only to have a full-grown lion leap onto your car and crush the roof with you inside. This is exactly what happened to a South Australian couple in the 1970s, and it’s a story that’s as jaw-dropping today as it was then. But here’s where it gets even more fascinating: this wasn’t a random encounter in the wild—it happened at a safari park where lions roamed freely around visitors’ cars. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? Well, for Dave and his newlywed wife, it was an unforgettable—and terrifying—experience.
Dave vividly recalls the moment the lion pounced on their Datsun 1200. “He jumped up on the roof and it caved in,” he told ABC Radio Adelaide. “We were literally sitting there with our heads bent down. We could see his tail over the windscreen and his front paws over the back window.” When they finally made it back to town, Dave’s in-laws thought they’d been in a rollover accident—a hilarious yet understandable mistake given the state of their car.
The couple had spontaneously decided to visit Bullen’s African Lion Safari Park in Two Wells, north of Adelaide, during their honeymoon in the summer of 1973. This park was one of eight established across Australia by the Bullen family, who had transitioned from running circuses since the 1920s to creating year-round safari experiences in the ’70s and ’80s. Visitors could drive into fenced paddocks with their windows rolled up, getting up close and personal with lions—sometimes too close, as Dave and his wife discovered.
But here’s where it gets controversial: Was this park a thrilling adventure or a dangerous gamble? While many visitors enjoyed the unique experience, incidents like Dave’s raise questions about the safety of such attractions. And this is the part most people miss: these parks weren’t just about entertainment; they were a product of their time, reflecting a less safety-conscious era.
Dave’s encounter wasn’t an isolated incident. Another visitor recalled watching a woman feed lions from a caged trailer, only to hear her scream, “Bob! He’s got my thumb!” Thankfully, she kept her thumb, but the story made headlines, highlighting the risks involved. Then there were the rumors of escaped lions, though one alleged sighting turned out to be a Great Dane—a case of mistaken identity that only added to the park’s mystique.
Speaking of escaped lions, many rumors likely stemmed from a 1964 incident in Windsor, Adelaide, where four lions broke free from a circus. After mauling and killing their keeper, George Herzog, the lions roamed free for two and a half hours before three were shot dead by police and a gun shop owner, Bill Hambly-Clark. “I shot once, and then again. I could see the whites of his eyes,” Hambly-Clark recounted to The Canberra Times. This event left a lasting impression on locals, including a 10-year-old Freddy, who remembered being told to stay indoors while authorities searched for the lions.
Back to Dave’s story: After the lion jumped off their car, he managed to push the roof and bonnet back into place, though the pin dents remained—a permanent reminder of their adventure. Despite their efforts, they never found the person who took photos of the incident. Ironically, years later, Dave spotted their “slightly used” Datsun in Alice Springs, still bearing the dents. “Someone else had bought it, and it still had the pin dents in the roof and the bonnet,” he said.
Here’s the thought-provoking question: Would you have risked driving into a lion’s den for a thrill like this? Or do you think such parks should never have existed? Share your thoughts in the comments—this is one story that’s sure to spark debate!
