Big cat eyes up lad for lunch

A photographer captured the moment a huge lioness at Miami Zoo tried to bite off his seven-year-old son's head.

Young Matthew was never in any danger as the big cat, called Kachifa, was behind plate glass.

But she was clearly fascinated in the boy and mirrored his every move during a ten minute staring contest.

Photographer Armando Sierra kept taking pictures as the lioness even bared her teeth and let out a huge roar.

At one point Kachifa even stood up on her hind legs, dwarfing the young boy, to get a better look at her visitor before bearing her large teeth again.

Armando said: "I try to go to the zoo every week with Matthew who enjoys looking at the lions as well as the chimps and the ducks.

"He likes to hear the lions growl and, since the females are very playful, he can just watch them interact.

"As we approached the glass the lioness immediately charged with aggression towards Matthew.

"She then started to scratch and claw at the glass as if wanting to play and she followed Matthew wherever he moved.

"She seemed to be analysing him and was waiting to see what his next move would be - she wasn't interested at all in me."