Overview
- Video from Shantou Zhongshan Park Zoo in Guangdong shows a lion reaching through enclosure bars and seizing the child during a feeding session on February 26.
- A keeper pulled the girl back and used a metal rod to jab the animal, freeing her after roughly 30 seconds.
- The girl was treated for minor abrasions, received a rabies vaccination, and was discharged to her parents, who reportedly do not blame the zoo.
- Zoo officials say the presence of meat in the girl's hand likely triggered the paw swipe, and the staffer who escorted her into the restricted buffer area has been suspended and reassigned.
- The facility, known for interactive feeding experiences, has been temporarily closed, and reports differ on whether one lioness or two lions were involved.