“Imagine Mufasa Waking Up Mid-air”: Nail-Biting Moment As Lion Is Flown on a Plane During Relocation

“Imagine Mufasa Waking Up Mid-air”: Nail-Biting Moment As Lion Is Flown on a Plane During Relocation

  • An animal-loving man was filmed mid-air in a private jet, with other males and a sleeping lion that had been placed on sedatives
  • He posted the clip on his Facebook account, shocking many viewers who said they were reminded of scenes from horror movies
  • Social media users flooded the comments section expressing their fear of lions, with others asking if there was an exit plan if things went wrong

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The lion was being moved from the Eastern Cape's Kariega to KZN
A group of men posed for the camera, sitting next to a sedated lion during its relocation. Image: Ivan Carter
Source: Facebook

A wildlife and conservation lover and a group of other men went on a mission to relocate a lion from the Eastern Cape to Kwa-Zulu-Natal, sparking a massive online debate.

The video was shared on Facebook by Ivan Carter on 8 March 2026, where it went viral, garnering massive views and comments from viewers who felt that the men were playing with fire.

The man was seated next to a gentleman in the private jet. A huge lion with a covered face and ears lay in the middle of the floor, with other gentlemen seated on the opposite side, facing it.

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The lion is moved to another province

The creator, Facebook user Ivan Carter, noted that the lion was being relocated from the Eastern Cape's Kariega Game Reserve to the Somkhanda Community Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal to repopulate new ecosystems.

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Watch the Facebook reel here.

SA debates about the sleeping lion

The clip gained 56K likes and 2.6K comments from social media users who were shocked by the men's nonchalant behaviour. Many viewers said they wouldn't have got on the plane, worried that the lion was going to wake up mid-air. Some said if the lion woke up, it would be the end of everyone inside the jet. One viewer jokingly called men risk takers, saying that women live longer because they don't gamble with their lives.

One viewer said her bad luck would have woken the lion even while sedated
Viewers called the men brave and said they would have stressed throughout the whole ride to KZN. Image: Ketut Subayinto
Source: UGC

User @Meriem Joujou commented:

"If I were there, I promise he would wake up. My luck is bad 😑."

User @Kathy De shared:

"If that lion wakes up, everyone on board that plane is in trouble. The end."

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User @Mahlatse Legodi added;

"This lion is truly majestic and powerful, can't wait to see what the future holds for him and the ecosystem 😂."

User @Johnny Knowluv said:

"Imagine MuFasa waking up in mid-air."

User @David Kitavi added:

"30k feet with a lion 🦁 on board, no way am I getting on that plane."

User @Thomas Høst said:

"His friends are not going to believe he was on a private jet 😄."

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  • A private game reserve owner who lives in a house with two massive lions went inside their cage to feed them, shocking many social media users.
  • A video of a man standing outside his bakkie while a lion stood nearby, waiting for its food, had the online community urging him to get back inside the car.
  • A wildlife-loving man was filming a lion at a game reserve when it came charging towards him, causing him to drop the camera on the ground.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Bongiwe Mati avatar

Bongiwe Mati (Human Interest Editor) Bongiwe Mati is a Human Interest reporter who joined Briefly News in August 2024. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree from the University of the Western Cape. Her journalism journey began in 2005 at the university newspaper. She later transitioned to marketing and sales at Leadership Magazine under Cape Media (2007-2009). In 2023, she joined BONA magazine as an Editorial Assistant, contributing to digital and print platforms across current news, entertainment, and human interest categories. Bongiwe can be reached at bongiwe.mati@briefly.co.za