The parents of a toddler in Japan are likely replaying all sorts of horror scenarios in their heads after a visit to the zoo.
A video recently posted to YouTube shows a two-year-old boy in a yellow rain coat watching a lion through the glass at Chiba Zoological Park.
Within seconds, the big cat, which one Japanese news site estimated weighed over 400 pounds, runs from the opposite end of his enclosure up to the wall, his paws slipping as he collides with it.
The boy has turned his back by this point, but then backs away quickly once he sees the lion so close to him.
The zoo said that the animal just wanted to play, but good intentions or not — the child could have easily been killed.
Adam M. Roberts, CEO of animal advocacy group Born Free USA, told The Dodo he thinks the glass was the only thing that prevented the lion from attacking.
"Lions are natural wild predators and the child in this video, especially when turning his back to the massive feline, becomes prey in the animal's eyes," he said.
"The firm glass wall held the lion inside his enclosure, surely frustrating his innate instincts."
"The firm glass wall held the lion inside his enclosure, surely frustrating his innate instincts."
The video popped up not long after a three-year-old boy ended up in a gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo, which led to zoo staff shooting one of the endangered animals to protect him.
Many blamed the boy's parents, but a prosecutor said Monday the mother wouldn't face any charges.
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