Recently, a shocking incident occurred at the Zhongshan Park Zoo in Shantou, Guangdong Province, where a young girl narrowly escaped a terrifying encounter with a lion while feeding it at close range. The lion grabbed onto the girl’s pants leg tightly, almost dragging her into the cage.
On February 28, a video surfaced showing a girl in a purple top at the lion exhibit area of Zhongshan Park Zoo in Shantou, Guangdong Province. As she leaned in to feed the lion through the metal fence, a lioness inside the cage suddenly reached out its claws and firmly grasped the girl’s pants leg, starting to drag her towards the cage while making biting motions.
The scene was filled with screams as the girl cried out in fear. In a moment of desperation, a man nearby quickly rushed forward, grabbing the girl’s arm tightly and helping her break free, pulling her away from the dangerous area near the fence just in time.
In response to the circulating video online, staff at Zhongshan Park Zoo explained that the incident took place on the 26th of the month. At that time, the child had wanted to feed the lion but was too young to do so successfully. Against regulations, the keeper brought the child near the metal cage.
They mentioned that the child was scratched by a young lion at the time, but upon examination, there were no bleeding wounds, just some broken skin. The child received a rabies vaccine. Currently, the keeper has been criticized, educated, and reassigned from their position.
Staff speculated that the lion might have been enticed by the meat in the girl’s hand, reaching out with its paw. The keeper immediately grabbed the girl and pulled her back, saving her. Subsequently, the zoo took the girl to the hospital for a check-up, and fortunately, she suffered no major injuries. Her family has since forgiven the zoo.
The staff admitted that allowing visitors to feed the lions at such close proximity was inappropriate. In light of the incident, the zoo has been required to cease operations for rectification.