Lions are deadly predators who possess such wild and ferocious power that man can barely survive an attack by one of these flesh eating cats.
But a little boy in Japan did.
At least with a lot of help from a glass barrier. It was the only thing that separated the boy's tiny body from certain mutilation and death when the lion pounced on the two year old boy with clear intent to kill.
The incident occurred at a zoo in Japan where a little boy of two years old and his family were visiting to see the animals.
The boy, obviously fascinated by the big male lion, went over to its glass covered enclosure to take a closer look.
On seeing the curious boy, the lion leaped down from a rock and crouched some distance away. It was in direct line of vision with the boy, and both stared at each other quietly for a few moments.
But when the boy turned and was about to move away, the 181kg lion who could move at astonishing speeds of up to 50 miles per hour., dashed across the empty space between them in just a matter of seconds and pounced of the boy.
But it ended up smashing its own head into the the glass wall.
The little boy who was dressed in a tiny yellow rain coat, turned at that moment and started in fear at the enormous lion that stood just inches away from him behind the glass barrier.
The barrier was the only thing that saved the boy's life.
Zoo officials have defended the animal saying that it was only trying to play with the boy.
This is a claim that animal experts interviewed completely disagree with.
Experts say that the lion was actually attacking the boy, and if not for the transparent glass barrier, it would have been a different story.
Carelessness at zoos worldwide is on the rise.
Just barely a week ago a 4 year old boy named Isaiah slipped away from his mother and fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati zoo.
Harambe the gorilla was shot dead in order to protect the youngster.