Katherine Sidnell
Warning: The below video may be distressing to some viewers
It’s not surprising that lions are the king of the jungle, especially after seeing this terrifying viral clip.
As families gathered around an enclosure, a lion suddenly lashed out at an unsuspecting keeper - but in an unexpected turn of events, a lioness scrambled to save him during the heart-stopping incident.
Unsurprisingly, the animal attack has gone viral after resurfacing on Reddit – with viewers in utter shock at how quickly things take a dramatic turn. Have a look below:
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In the video, two zookeepers are seen in the lion's pen observing a male lion and a lioness who are both laying seemingly calmly on the ground.
Meanwhile, the other keeper keeps his eyes on the male lion – a near fatal mistake.
For a second the camera pans away, only to rapidly turn back amidst cries from onlooking tourists as the lion goes for the keeper, after the man makes eye contact with him.
Terrifyingly, the big cat manages to get him to the ground as it attempts to clamp down on his leg.
His colleague rushes over to try and assist, but it's the lioness’ quick reactions that ultimately save them and help both men escape unhurt.
Rushing over, she falls on top of her mate and bites at his tail as he gets up, before eventually managing to get herself between him and the zookeepers, guiding him away from them until he storms off, looking mightily disgruntled.
It's a quick and efficient reaction that may well have saved the lives of at least one of the men.
After the clip resurfaced, people have had pretty strong reactions to the viral video - which is thought to have been filmed in a Las Vegas hotel.
Redditors were quick to take the side of the lion, with one writing: "His posture, his body language. It says 'Challenge' and the lion took it as such.
"I won't say he deserves to die, but I believe the lion should be forgiven, and the man never allowed in an enclosure with a wild animal again."
Another added: "Dude was staring down the lion. Don’t stare wild animals in the eyes. It’s never not a threat."
A third took aim at the zoo itself, saying: "No zoo in their right mind would let workers or anyone be that close to lions. These people are obviously not trained properly in animal care."
Others saw the funny side of it, however, with one commenter quipping: "I think I heard the lioness say 'I can't take you anywhere'.
Well, it's they weren't lying about the dangers of entering the lion's den.