Horrifying moment a girl is attacked by a lion after dozens of children are allowed into its cage in Saudi Arabia and the animal goes wild

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This shocking footage shows the moment when a lion attacks a young girl in Saudi Arabia after dozens of children were allowed to play with the predator during a festival.

The video sees the children run around with the lion, when suddenly the game turns into a serious hunt for the wild animal, and it pounces on one of the children.

The lion had reportedly been brought as entertainment for children attending the festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

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High-risk game: For unknown reasons, several children were playing with the lion in an enclosure as part of a spring festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

The clip first sees the children run around in an enclosure with the lion, with one adult among them seemingly in charge.

However, the next moment, the lion corners a girl in a black top and chequered trousers, and pins her against the wall.

The terrified child screams as the lion stands on its hind legs and grabs her head with its paws.

Attack: The terrified girl is pinned against the wall of the enclosure by the large feline 

Help: Bystanders and the other children in the enclosure rush to help the girl, and manage to pull the animal off her

Several bystanders jump to the girl's defence, and the video shows them dragging the large feline off the child. 

A local newspaper reported that the girl had not come to harm as the lion - a six-month-old cub - had undergone a claw removal.  

Authorities in Jeddah suspended the festival after the lion attack and are investigating the incident.