Terrifying moment girl, 10, mauled by lions while feeding them in forbidden area of zoo

Terrifying video shows a 10-year-old girl being attacked by two lions at a zoo after being allowed into a forbidden zoo area to feed them.

The young girl was seen right up against the bars of the lions’ enclosure in Shantou Zhongshan Park Zoo in Guangdong, China, Thursday when a lioness suddenly thrust her paw through the bars and grabbed her leg.

The young girl started screaming as a zookeeper grabbed her and desperately tried to pull her away, as another lion also tried to reach through and grab her.

A girl was attacked while trying to feed in a lioness at a Chinese zoo. JamPress

The zoo staffer eventually used a metal rod to bash away the big cat’s paw as it clung to her pants, eventually freeing the girl after a terrifying 30-second tussle.

The girl was too young to have ever been in the designated feeding area, and the staffer who took her there has since been suspended, according to Jam Press.

Zoo officials believe the lioness attacked because the girl had meat in her hand, according to the report.

The girl was hospitalized with minor leg injuries and discharged after getting a rabies vaccination.

The zoo, known for its interactive animal-feeding sessions, was temporarily closed.