Lion creeps up behind boy at New Orleans zoo

As the boy turns around, the lion suddenly pounces.

July 30, 2019, 2:54 PM

While any other child might have cried and run away from a charging lion, this little visitor completely kept his cool at the zoo.

PHOTO: A boy smiles as a lion at a New Orleans zoo slowly creeps up on him and pounces from behind the protective glass, July 2019.
A boy smiles as a lion at a New Orleans zoo slowly creeps up on him and pounces from behind the protective glass, July 2019.
Obtained by ABC News

A video of the encounter shows a lion at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans stealthily crouching and making its way toward a little boy who is sitting with his back facing the glass.

As the boy turns around, the lion suddenly pounces, hitting the protective glass between them repeatedly with his paws, as seen in the video.

But the boy barely flinches at all, smiling at the lion, as a woman carries another young child toward the glass, looking on in awe.