We were in a Land Cruiser about 30 feet from those lions. My zoom was only 135. They actually trotted between 2 vehicles. We were staying in the Mluwati Concession for the last 2 nights after 4 nights in the public park. Mluwati is an unfenced area with a long term lease from Kruger. The concessions make up only a small portion of the park in the middle western section & they help pay the bills. They have strict rules but they are allowed a bit more latitude then the general public in the greater park. Our guide told me that they gradually habituate the wildlife to vehicles by driving closer over time & watching carefully for the danger signs. A growl from a lion or the ear wave from an elephant etc. then they back off. Animals view vehicles as an entity & don't associate it with the people in it. You are not allowed to make a lot of noise or extend any body part or camera outside the vehicle or you break the illusion & the animal could feel threatened. Our guide didn't even have a gun . . .
In the greater park, speed limits are strictly enforced & you are not allowed off the road or out of your vehicle. The animals are surprisingly docile & often won't even move off the road. Cape buffalo are the exception or elephants with young. We found giraffes & rhinos to be a bit more skitterish.
Here is a picture I took at 10 feet away. Moments after I took the picture he lay down & fell asleep. Note his sleeping brother in the background. He didn't even lift his head. But, if we had stepped out of the vehicle, we would have been lunch.
Here are elephants at 30 feet & the matriarch warned us to back off just after I took this photo. We did. She could roll over a Land Cruiser with relative ease.
Ian