When introducing children to an animal, it can be tough to predict how they will react.
One child may be afraid of dogs while another can't find any stranger's cat scary.
It's hard to know in advance what an animal will do around a child-- one minute they'll
act gentle and docile, and the next they'll show signs of agitation or aggression.
That's what 11-month-old or Aria’s godparents may have been wondering, when the baby dressed
in an adorable lion outfit himself pressed his nose up against the glass at a zoo to
see a real lion.
But they never expected the lion would react the way it did.
A family day trip to the zoo is often a great way for parents to familiarize their children
with all kinds of different animals.
That's why Atlanta's Cammy fanning and her friend recently planned an outing with Cammy's
11-month-old godson aria.
Cami was excited to be able to introduce aria to the wonderful world of animals at the Atlanta
Zoo.
As soon as they arrived there, it was clear that the child was enthralled with everything
around him.
But there was one special animal, they wanted to see the most, the lions.
That was because Aria's name literally translates to lion in Hebrew.
Cami was so excited to watch his reaction to his Feline namesake that she even bought
him a costume to wear.
There was some initial disappointment when Cami arrived at the zoo with aria and toe
though, as the lions were hidden away.
“It was a pretty cold day.
So, when we first arrived, the lions weren't out yet”, she said.
Instead of getting upset, Cami knew aria would still love to see the other animals at the
zoo.
So for the next couple of hours, they walked around and took in all the incredible animals
roaming the grounds.
Of course, Cami still wanted aria to get to see the lions up close and personal.
So, they decided to stop by the exhibit before they left, in case the ferocious felines were
outside.
After all the weather had gotten better, “we saw the rest of the animals and stopped by
the lion exhibit on our way out,” Cami explained.
“We saw that the lions were out, and I put aria in his costume thinking we'd snap a picture
of him with the lions in the background.”
Once they'd changed the little boy into his lion costume.
It was time for him to see the lions in person, Cami and aria became more and more excited
with each step toward the exhibit.
And that was when something amazing happened.
When Cami placed aria, who was now wearing his adorable lion Cub costume, near the thick
plated glass of the lion exhibit, she didn't know what to expect.
Would the lion growl?
would the small child be afraid?
“The lions were immediately interested in our little lion Cub”, Cami later explained
to a local news organization.
She and other zoo visitors looked on to see how the lions would react.
Did they think aria was a real lion like them?
Within moments, Cami and everyone else around was treated to a rather unexpected site.
“It wasn't long before they couldn't stand their curiosity any longer and came right
up to the glass”, she recalled.
But how did her young godson respond to the attention he was receiving from the large
cats?
“Aria was completely unfazed, and interacted with the lions for a few minutes”, Cami
remembered with a smile.
For a few brief moments as captured by Cami who couldn't help, but record video footage.
Aria even reached out his little hand toward the lions.
It was as if he felt just at home with them as he did with Cammy and his actual family.
Not only did aria look right into the lion's eyes and smile, but he followed the big cat
from one side of the room to the other.
He was even crawling as if he was part of the exhibit the entire time.
Considering the meaning behind his name, was it any surprise that aria felt so comfortable
in the presence of such potentially ferocious beasts?
These animals were practically his kin after all, as pack animals, lions are known to be
protective of their young.
Sure, they can be terrifying, especially when they feel threatened, but something about
Aria's costume must have reminded them of their own Cubs.
Of course, there was no telling how the lions would've reacted to aria had the thick glass
pain not been there, as unpredictable animals.
It's never safe to wager a bed on how they'd react to any one thing.
When Cami and her friend noticed Alliance were becoming a bit anxious after a while,
they decided it was best to move on from the exhibit.
Looking back, Aria probably should have been more prepared for what was about to happen.
The experience was unforgettable though and as it turned out, he loved it!
Most people eventually visit the zoo with their family, but he got to interact with
the animals in a whole different way.
The best part is that Cami caught it on camera!
Now Aria's human pride could watch it over and over, for years to come.
That experience was truly something they would never forget for the rest of their life.
That was beautiful experience.
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