A lion attacked a young girl who was feeding it at a zoo.

The incident occurred when the 10-year-old girl was feeding the lion by offering food through the cage, and the lion suddenly reached through the bars, grabbing her trouser leg and pulling her towards it.

The girl screamed in terror as a zookeeper quickly intervened, trying to free her by using a metal rod to jab at the lion and make it release its grip.

After a struggle that lasted almost thirty seconds, the zookeeper successfully rescued the girl from the lion’s grasp. This alarming incident took place at Shantou Zhongshan Park Zoo in Guangdong, China, on Thursday.

Reports from local media indicate that the zookeeper had disregarded safety protocols by allowing the girl into a restricted zone to feed the lioness, resulting in his suspension and reassignment.

According to zoo staff, the lioness likely attacked in response to seeing meat in the girl’s hand. The girl was promptly taken to the hospital for evaluation, where it was discovered that she had only sustained minor injuries to her leg.

Following a rabies vaccination, the girl was discharged with her parents, who reportedly do not blame the zoo for the incident. As a precaution, the zoo, known for its interactive animal-feeding programs, was temporarily shut down to prevent any similar occurrences.

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