Not many people could look a large, male lion in the eyes as he growled - even with the protection of thick zoo glass between them. But, a brave 3 year old out of New Zealand did just that.
In the surprising video captured by Julian Walker at the Wellington Zoo, his daughter Sofia quizzically looks the lion in the eyes - even as he growls, bares his teeth, and pounds on the glass with his massive paws.
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Little Sofia isn't the least bit fazed by the aggressive behavior. It almost looks as if she is trying to get inside the animal's head, and understand what he is thinking. Even when Sofia's mom calls out in the video for her daughter to step back the 3 year old exclaims, "What's he telling me?"
The New Zealand Herald says the lion, 7 year old Malik, was just being fed his breakfast as the young girl and other onlookers entered near his enclosure.
Paul Hatton, the team leader of carnivores and primates at Wellington, told the NZH that Malik was a bit of a grumpy cat who will let you know if he doesn't like something - and like all lions, doesn't like to share his food. "He's massive and you sometimes forget how big he is until you see a picture of him right up next to a small child. He's a big character."
Check out the video of the brave 3 year old that's been viewed more than 6 million times right here below.
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