9/1/2009

in

A teenage boy fell into the lion pit at the Boston zoo where the upcoming Kevin James movie, "The Zookeeper," is being filmed.

Danielle DeLeon

Beware the lion pit! A warning not heeded by the teenage boy who tumbled into the lion's den at the Franklin Park Zoo.  
  
Wednesday, a 16-year-old boy fell into the lion pit in Boston. Luckily, the lone lion did not approach the boy, and the teen's injuries were minor.  
  
According to the [Boston Herald](http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20090902teen_safe_after_spill_into_zoos_lions_den/srvc=home&position=recent), the teenage boy fell into the lion pit around 3:30 p.m. and suffered a head injury. He later was taken to Boston Medical Center.  
  
When zoo officials were alerted of the teen's fall, they quickly diverted the 405-pound adult African male lion, named Christopher.  
  
Police and zoo officials are unsure how the teen got into the area and fell into the lion pit, but the netting in the lion pit helped break his fall. The teen may have ventured into the area to observe filming of the Kevin James movie, "The Zookeeper."  
  
Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald told the [Boston Herald](http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20090902teen_safe_after_spill_into_zoos_lions_den/srvc=home&position=recent) that the teen "was in an area he shouldn't have been." MacDonald added, "He might have been curious. There were a lot of workers up there working on the movie and a lot of big production equipment."  
  
"The Zookeeper," starring Kevin James, is a film about a zookeeper unlucky in love.