Lions chew on car mirror, rip off bumper in South African park

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- A group of tourists driving through a South African park recorded a lion chewing on their car's side-view mirror before a second big cat arrived and began ripping off their front bumper.

Thaveshan Moodley, who uploaded the video to YouTube, said he was driving his brother's Volkswagen Golf1 car through the Johannesburg Lion Park while his brother took video from the backseat.

Moodley said his brother did not realize he was recording himself as well as the lions.

The footage shows one of the curious cats approach the car and start chewing on the side-view mirror, eliciting a mixture of laughter and panic from the car's occupants.

The driver eventually decides to leave the scene in reverse, but another lion gives chase and latches onto the front bumper, which comes free from the car.

"You're not getting that back," one of the car's passengers says with a laugh.

The tourists drive away while a trio of lions inspect the stolen bumper at the side of the dirt road.