When a two-year-old boy visited a zoo in Chiba, Japan, over the weekend, he had no idea how close he’d come to life-threatening danger.
It’s easy to forget that the beautiful animals in zoos don’t lose their instincts when they’re placed behind glass. When the cutie in the yellow coat turned around after getting an up-close and personal view of a powerful male lion, the cat charged the class to get a closer look at him (or worse).
Although zookeepers have reportedly claimed that the lion meant no harm and simply wanted to play, it’s hard to come to a solid conclusion either way.
According to Adam Roberts, chief executive of Born Free USA, things could have ended very differently. “Lions are natural predators and the child in this video, especially when turning his back to the massive feline, became prey in the animal’s eyes,” he said. “The firm glass wall held the lion inside his enclosure, surely frustrating his innate instincts. If the barrier had not held up, the consequences could have been catastrophic.”
Fortunately, this situation ended well for both the child and the lion.
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