Deer jumps into lions' den at National Zoo

WASHINGTON - National Zoo visitors got a taste of the Wild Kingdom as a deer jumps into the lions' enclosure at the National Zoo Sunday.

The two female lions attacked the deer, which managed to escape into a moat. The lions stalk the edge of the moat as the deer swims back and forth.

Watch the video shot by Ephraim and Christy Smethers.

The female deer is caught at one point and dragged to a stairwell area.

The deer then breaks free again.

With a crowd of nearly 100 yelling and shrieking for the deer to get to safety, the deer heads for the water with the lion on its tail.

Zoo personnel sent the crowd from the scene and managed to get the lions indoors. The deer did get out of the moat on its own but had to be euthanized, The Washington Post reports.

The deer, which entered the zoo from Rock Creek Park, suffered scratches on its head and neck and had a serious belly wound.

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