The photos from a national park in South Africa show a pride of lions sleeping in the middle of a road.

With coronavirus causing lockdowns across much of the planet, we're seeing more animals taking full advantage of nature.

Some animals are even returning to areas that are now human-free. One such place is Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Kruger National Park is one of the largest Animal Reserves in Africa

The South African safari park offers a wide range of activities that ensures the safety of animals from hunters.

From wildlife tours to romantic safari getaways, the park also offers a versatile way of getting up close with animals.

But due to the ongoing pandemic, the park has been shut, with only essential workers allowed into the park.

As a Result, Animals Are Free to Roam Around the Large Expanse of Land

And incredibly, the animals have been making good use of the space around them.

The park has been tweeting photos and videos of animals roaming the park without the intrusion of tourists.

And one set of photos shows a pride of lions lounging in the middle of a road.

Ranger Richard Sowry Took the Pictures

Parking up approximately 5.5 yards away from the majestic creatures, he watched in awe. He then took his phone to snap some photos.

Sowry explained to the BBC:

"Lions are used to people in vehicles. All animals have much more of an instinctive fear of people on foot, so if I had walked up, they would never have allowed me to get so close."

The oldest lioness in the pride is around 14 years old

People Wouldn't Spot Such Majestic Sights on a Typical Day

Lions only venture on roads at night-time, to lay on the warm tarmac which has retained the sun's heat.

Kruger National Park's media officer, Isaac Phaala, told the news outlet:

"Everybody realizes the importance of the lockdown and the rangers are there to do their normal duties."

"To maintain the infrastructure takes quite a bit of work so that when the park opens, you don't start from scratch."

Speaking about the lions, Mr Phaala added:

"Normally, they would be in the bushes because of the traffic, but they are very smart and now they are enjoying the freedom of the park without us."

The Post Has Since Racked Up over 25 Thousand Likes on Twitter

After the zoo's official Twitter account shared the posts, social media users also expressed their amazement at the sight.

One user had some advice for us all after:

"Nice. Virtual tourism is an ideal alternative avenue you could pursue during this sad time and after the lockdown. We need to keep in touch with nature and wildlife."