MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A young boy visiting from Ft. Myers got a memory of a lifetime during a visit to Zoo Miami.

Alex Hawker, 7, was taking in the sights and sounds of zoo with his dad Sean when they decided to check out the lions. At the lion cave exhibit, Sean Hawker noticed a lioness was laying down on the other side of the glass and thought it would make a great photo opportunity, according to Zoo Miami’s Ron Magil.

He then told Alex to go stand next to the glass, with his back to it, so he could get a picture of him and the lioness lying in the background.

Just as the boy back up to the glass, the lioness lunged in an attempt to grab him. Alex froze as his eyes went wide.

Just at that moment, Sean snapped a photo of what he and his son call a “wonderful adventure!”