A few days ago I stumbled on this video:
That lion REALLY wants to get at that little kid. And while it's interesting to watch, I did wonder how long the person with the camera was going to keep rolling footage--and how strong that glass was. I figured it was pretty strong, as I had a gorilla try to punch me through that same stuff once when I was at the Atlanta zoo. Scared the hell out of me. I think I looked directly into his eyes for too long or something...
As I was recalling this event I had an odd thought (which is not uncommon for me): How many times have lions tried to get at kids through thick glass partitions? The answer: lots.
This may sound crass, but I sort'a wanted the lion to have a shot at those kids. That's right, guys--keep hitting the glass and teasing the giant carnivore. Really smart.
This next video contains a kid that has more balls than I do:
My diapers would have been nice and full after that little encounter. And I'm 46-years-old. Do I truly wear diapers? I'm not sayin'.
Next we have another "tease the animal" video--which irks me:
I mean, come on. Leave the poor guy alone. He's obviously grouchy. But, no. "Do it again!"
There are more of these videos. But I'm not entirely convinced that the lions are trying to get to the kids to "eat" them--well, except in that last case. That lion looked really angry.
Cats are... well, cats. It doesn't matter how big they are. Much of the activity displayed in these videos mirror the actions of my own cat. Let's take the pawing at the glass, for example. My cat (whom you should all know by now as Buster) does this very same activity when he wants attention. The lions attempting to "eat" the toddler's heads could very well be a maternal instinct to carry the infant to safety.
Now, I'm not saying that it would be safe to toss a toddler into a lion pen. That would probably end quite badly. But I am saying that in many of the videos may be taken out of context.
Except for that last one. That is a King of the Jungle who has lost his throne--and wants it back...
--Teaser image by Winfried Bruenken via Wikimedia Commons
