Zoo Miami Lioness Lunges At Alex Hawker For One-In-A-Billion Shot (PHOTO, VIDEO)

PHOTO: Glass Saves Boy From Lioness

A Fort Meyers family is no doubt very grateful for a single pane of glass after a close encounter and fortuitous photo opt Wednesday at Zoo Miami.

Alex Hawker asked his father to take his picture in front of the lion's den.

When father Sean got out his camera and composed the shot, a sleeping lioness became alert and leapt up just as he released the shutter. (Story continues below.)

zoo miami lion kid photo

The lioness stared directly down at Alex, whose own eyes are wide in trepidation of the large beast looming at his head just behind glass. The beast's paws are placed just next to Alex's face.

"Without setting it up and being from Hollywood or something. It's like a one in a billion shot," the father told WSVN.

Just last month at the Oregon Zoo, a family filmed a zoo lion who pawed and snapped at their young toddler, whose stripped attire may have made him look like a baby zebra to the captive predator. Watch the video below:

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