Ghanaian YouTuber Wode Maya has shared a frightening experience he had while walking with lions during a visit to a wildlife sanctuary in Zimbabwe.
In a video that has since gone viral, Wode Maya is seen walking cautiously beside a large male lion while holding a cane. The mood quickly changed when a lioness suddenly appeared behind him, causing him to panic.
According to the content creator, his tour guide immediately calmed him down and assured him there was no danger, allowing the group to continue the tour.
Speaking in an interview, the content creator said, “We walked with this lion and it almost attacked one of my videographers.”
The host, who praised Wode Maya’s composure during the ordeal, asked why the lion did not attack him instead. Wode Maya replied, “I feel like the animals love me.”
He explained that the lion charged at his videographer because he had disobeyed instructions. “Before you walk with the lion, they give you some guidelines, but he disobeyed; he was in front instead of being behind it,” he said.
Wode Maya added that the situation could have turned tragic.
“The moment I raised my head, I saw the lion going towards my crew; I shouted, and everyone pushed him to the floor. He was almost killed by the lion.”
Wode Maya
Calling it one of the scariest experiences of his life, the popular YouTuber warned fans not to imitate such risky adventures. “I always tell people, what we do, please don’t try it,” he cautioned.
The incident and his interview have since generated mixed reactions on social media, with many praising his bravery while others criticised the close interaction with wild animals.
Wode Maya on Whom He Was Named After
The popular Ghanaian travel vlogger disclosed that he was named after a German man called Berthold Winkler, who was a friend of his father.
Wode Maya revealed that although many know him by his native name Kobina Ackon, that name does not appear on his official documents. Instead, he uses “Berthold Winkler”, the name given to him by his parents in honour of his father’s German friend, who was also the owner of Ghana Manganese.
He explained that when he began creating content, he used his official name before adopting the moniker Wode Maya, which means “I love my mum” in Mandarin.
The YouTuber, who has built a strong reputation in travel, tourism and storytelling, said vlogging was never part of his original career plan.
“I have always wanted to be an aviation engineer. What I’m doing right now was nowhere part of my plans for the future. It was more like a calling.”
Wode Maya
He recounted that his passion for video creation began while studying aviation engineering in China. “It started like a joke. I just wanted to find something to do while I was studying aviation engineering in China,” he said.
According to him, his father initially disapproved of his decision to focus on comedy videos instead of his academic work, but later gave him his full support.
“What I’m doing right now is literally my father’s idea. He gave me his blessings to continue because my father loved the continent so much. But he was a man of God, he could only preach the word of God, not about Africa. So, I decided to take the mantle from him.”
Wode Maya
Today, Wode Maya is internationally recognised for his inspiring travel content that showcases Africa’s richness and potential, fulfilling a mission that began with his father’s love for the continent.
Wode Maya has reached a significant milestone on Facebook with approximately 3 million followers, while his YouTube channel now boasts close to 1.85 million subscribers.
Recently, he was honoured with a diplomatic passport by the Government of Ghana for his efforts in promoting Ghana and Africa to a global audience.
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