A 10-year-old girl was attacked by two lions at a zoo in China after a zookeeper mistakenly allowed her into a restricted feeding zone, resulting in a horrifying incident where the lions grabbed her leg and dragged her toward the enclosure bars.
The frightening encounter occurred on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, at Shantou Zhongshan Park Zoo in Guangdong Province, China. The girl had approached the lions’ enclosure to feed them when a lioness abruptly reached through a gap in the bars, seized her leg, and yanked her to the ground, as captured on video.
The child’s screams filled the area as a zookeeper grabbed hold of her and fought to loosen the lion’s grip. During the struggle, another lion also reached through the bars and attempted to latch onto her. The staff member eventually struck the lioness’s paw with a metal rod, freeing the girl after a harrowing 30-second struggle caught on surveillance footage.
The girl sustained minor scrapes on her leg and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she received a precautionary rabies shot before being released later that night around 9 p.m. Surprisingly, her parents reportedly do not blame the zoo for what happened.
Zookeepers believe the lioness reacted after spotting meat in the girl’s hand during the feeding attempt, according to local media. The sight of food so close likely triggered the animal’s natural hunting instincts.
The incident highlighted a major safety oversight at the zoo. The girl was far too young to be inside the feeding area, which is normally restricted to older visitors for safety reasons. An internal review found that the zookeeper had brought her into the designated buffer zone specifically to let her feed the lioness, despite her being underage.
Investigation results showed that “zoo keepers allowed visitors to enter the isolation area to feed the animals,” according to the zoo’s Feb. 28 announcement. The zoo attributed the ordeal to poor management decisions.
The zookeeper who allowed the underage child into the restricted feeding area has been suspended and reassigned following the event.
Shantou Zhongshan Park Zoo, known for its interactive animal-feeding attractions that draw families across the region, has temporarily shut down. Operations are on hold while safety procedures undergo a full review to better protect visitors and animals.
Video footage released to the media shows the girl standing directly against the lions’ enclosure at the moment the attack began. The clip illustrates how a seemingly routine feeding interaction rapidly turned into a life-threatening situation.
Lions are powerful apex predators with strong jaws and claws capable of causing severe injury or death. Male lions can weigh 330 to 550 pounds, while lionesses—like those involved in this incident—typically weigh between 265 and 395 pounds. Their predatory instincts may activate due to movement, closeness, or the presence of food, making close interactions extremely risky, especially for children.
Given the circumstances, the girl’s minor wounds represent a remarkably fortunate outcome. The zookeeper’s quick action in using the metal rod to deter the lions likely prevented significantly worse injuries—or a potentially fatal mauling.
Authorities in China have not indicated whether further penalties or regulatory changes will result from the investigation.
