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A male lion at a Japanese zoo has been filmed trying to pounce on a little boy with his back turned before crashing into a protective glass wall.
The incident was captured by a visitor to Chiba Zoological park in the eastern part of Tokyo .
With his back turned, the child does not notice the stalking 185kg lion until it collides with the glass.
The glass display was introduced in April to allow visiters a closer look at the large predator.
Animal rights campaigners have said the video highlights why keeping wild predators in such captivity is both cruel and dangerous.
Lion expert Adam M. Roberts from Born Free USA told The Dodo
Ever Wondered What It's Like to Have a Pet Lion? "The firm glass wall held the lion inside his enclosure, surely frustrating his innate instincts.
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Where not to visit if you love animals Running of the Bulls Every year, tourists travel to Pamplona for the Running of the Bulls. The bulls who are forced to slip and slide down the town's narrow cobblestone streets are chased straight into the bullring. They are then taunted, stabbed repeatedly and finally killed by the matador in front of a jeering crowd. The majority of Spaniards reject bullfighting, but tourists are keeping the cruel industry on its last legs.
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Where not to visit if you love animals Zoos The zoo community regards the animals it keeps as commodities, and animals are regularly bought, sold, borrowed and traded without any regard for established relationships. Zoos breed animals because the presence of babies draws visitors and boosts revenue, yet often, there's nowhere to put the offspring as they grow, and they are killed, as we saw with Marius the giraffe in Denmark. Some zoos have introduced evening events with loud music and alcohol which disrupt the incarcerated animals even further.
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"But luckily for the family, if the barrier had not held the consequences could have been catastrophic."
Zookeepers have insisted, however, the lion only wanted to play with boy and always reacts this way whenever it sees young children.
The Independent has contacted the zoo for comment.
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