“Food Can Dance?”: A Lion’s Facial Expressions to a Woman’s Viral Dance Have Mzansi in Stitches
- A South African woman shared a video of herself dancing in front of a huge lion
- The video shows the woman doing fancy dance moves while the lion stares at her
- Social media users flooded the comments with hilarious jokes, with some saying the lion thought its food came with entertainment
Source: TikTok
A South African woman has made Mzansi roar with laughter after sharing a video of herself dancing in front of a huge lion. The clip shows the woman standing in front of her fence with a huge lion behind her on the other side. As she starts recording herself doing some fancy dance moves, the lion stares at her with a deadpan face, seemingly confused by what she's doing.
The clip, posted on 16 October 2025, quickly went viral, getting over 610,000 views and more than 48,000 reactions from people who couldn't stop laughing at the lion's facial expressions.
When she does some fancy moves, the lion moves to the side as though it's surprised. Then, when she performs a high spinning kick, the lion is surprised again and moves to the side, appearing to give her space for whatever it is she’s doing.
The video sparked hilarious reactions online, with people making jokes about what the lion might be thinking. Some said the lion would joke about the woman's dance moves when telling its friends, while others stated that lions are no longer serious or dangerous; they're just content creators now.
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Source: TikTok
Mzansi reacts to the lion's expressions
Social media users flooded the comments with hilarious jokes about the lion's reaction to the woman's dance moves.
@ame wrote:
"The lion was like, 'shake before use' 🥰."
@katlego_trushka joked:
"'God give me strength to jump this fence'😂😭."
@andile said:
"The lion was like, 'What!!, the food can dance?'"
@resistance_2_0 added:
"Even lions fear women 😩😂😂."
@cynmalherbe wrote:
"Later, when he is telling his friends..."
@bk_maherry joked:
"Lions nowadays are just content creators😒 They're no longer serious."
@nana_ama said:
"So my food came with entertainment too😂."
How to behave around lions
Despite the video being hilarious, content creator @ltheledi25 was quite brave to dance in front of a lion, putting her trust in the gate that separated them.
According to wildlife experts at Safari Conservation Adventures, there are important safety tips to follow when you come across a lion. The most important rule is to never run. Ever.
Running triggers a lion’s natural hunting instinct, so standing still is the safest response. Watch its tail, a key indicator of mood. When angry or threatened, a lion’s tail lashes from side to side; when hunting, it stays stiff with quick twitches. If it charges, remain still and avoid sudden movements.
If the lion neither advances nor retreats, begin to slowly back away while keeping eye contact. Never crouch or turn your back, doing so makes you resemble prey. Lions don’t usually see humans as food, but sudden movement can trigger their predatory response.
Disclaimer: The comments and interpretations of the lion's behaviour are lighthearted observations and should not be taken as accurate representations of animal behaviour or psychology. Lions are wild animals and should always be treated with caution and respect. We encourage readers to learn about proper wildlife safety and conservation efforts from qualified experts and organisations.
Watch the TikTok clip below:
More wild animal stories in SA
- Briefly News recently reported on two lions chasing a safari vehicle, and online users were stunned by the lions' speed in the viral TikTok video.
- A TikTok video showed a rhino launching an attack on wildlife workers, and people were fascinated by how different people reacted during the emergency.
- South Africans laughed after a lion ripped a woman's car during a safari drive at Lion and Safari Park, and several online community members joked about the experience.
Source: Briefly News
