Shocking moment lion bites zoo worker's hand as he tries to PET IT through the bars of its cage to impress visitors… before he punches the animal to get himself free

This is the shocking moment a lion attacks a zoo worker in Senegal and almost bites the man's hand off. 

A guide at Park Hann, a zoo in Dakar, Senegal, stuck his hand through the bars of the lion's cage in an attempt to pet the wild animal.

Terrifying footage shows the moment his arm was almost ripped from its socket as the lion traps his arm in its mouth.  

In the video, the man screams as the lion locks his jaws around his hand in a menacing grip.

Visitors are heard panicking in the background and some throw stones at the lion in an effort to free them man.

Eventually the man hits the beast on the head with his left hand and his right hand is released from the lion's jaw. 

A video of a lion attack in Park Hann, a zoo in Dakar, Senegal shows the moment a lion almost rips a man's arm from his socket after the man sticks his hand in the cage to pet it

The man leans over the security barrier in relief, with his hand and arm still intact but dripping with blood. 

According to local reports, the man named as Abdoulaye Wade, works in the zoo and other videos show him provoking the lion before the attack.  

The man crossed the barrier to get close to the cage and apparently slid his arm through the bars to touch the animal to impress the tourists.

The man is heard screaming until eventually he hits the beast on the head with his left hand and his right hand is released from the lion's jaw

What followed was 'a dangerous game of cat and mouse', where the lion tried to grab his arm and the man tried to hit him with his palm.

Eventually the lion grabbed the man's hand resulting in the shocking incident captured on camera.

The lion attack took place on February 23 and the video circulated widely on social media.