A 10-year-old girl was attacked by two lions at a Chinese zoo after a zookeeper let her enter a restricted feeding zone—an error that resulted in the child screaming as the animals grabbed her leg and dragged her toward the enclosure bars.
The frightening incident occurred on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, at Shantou Zhongshan Park Zoo in Guangdong Province, China. The young girl had approached the lions’ enclosure to feed them when a lioness suddenly reached through a gap in the bars, seized the girl’s leg, and pulled her to the ground. The moment was captured on video.
The child’s screams echoed as a zookeeper grabbed her and fought to break her free from the lioness’s hold. During the struggle, another lion attempted to reach through the bars to grab her as well. The staff member eventually struck the lioness’s paw with a metal rod, freeing the girl after a tense 30-second struggle recorded by surveillance cameras.
The girl sustained mild scrapes on her leg and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she received a precautionary rabies shot before being discharged around 9 p.m. Surprisingly, her parents reportedly said they did not blame the zoo for what happened.
Zoo workers believe the lioness reacted after seeing meat in the girl’s hand during the feeding attempt, according to local media reports. The predator’s natural hunting instincts were likely triggered by the child holding food within close range.
The incident exposed a major safety lapse at the zoo. The girl was far too young to be in the feeding zone, which has strict age requirements for safety reasons. An internal review found that the zookeeper intentionally brought her into the designated buffer area so she could feed the lioness, despite her being underage.
Investigators found that “zoo keepers allowed visitors to enter the isolation area to feed the animals,” according to the zoo’s Feb. 28 statement. The event was blamed on poor management decisions.
The zookeeper who let the underage girl enter the prohibited feeding zone has been suspended and reassigned after the attack.
Shantou Zhongshan Park Zoo, known for its hands-on feeding experiences that draw families from across the region, has been temporarily closed following the event. Operations are paused while officials conduct a full review of safety protocols intended to protect both visitors and animals.
Video released to media outlets shows the girl standing directly against the bars of the lions’ enclosure when the attack began. The footage highlights how quickly the situation shifted from a routine feeding experience to a dangerous emergency.
Lions are apex predators with strong jaws and claws capable of causing severe or deadly injuries. Adult male lions typically weigh between 330 and 550 pounds, while lionesses—like those involved in the attack—usually weigh between 265 and 395 pounds. Their instinctive predatory responses can be triggered by movement, closeness, or the sight of food, making close encounters especially risky for children.
The fact that the girl escaped with only minor wounds is remarkably fortunate given the circumstances. The swift action of the zookeeper who used the metal rod to drive the lions back likely prevented far more serious injuries or a possible fatality.
Chinese authorities have not yet stated whether further penalties or new regulations will result from the investigation.
