The downy owl chick flew into the den of the Asiatic lioness Indu at Paignton Zoo in Devon but was completely ignored by the snoozing cat dozed.
The owl, which is just a few inches high, was dwarfed by the 180 kilogram lion. The enclosure at Paignton Zoo is open and it is thought the owlets parents had built their nest in one of the trees inside it.
The tiny owl had fluttered down next to the four-foot-tall lion's right front paw as it ventured out on one of its first flights.
Sheila Hassanien captured the moment while visiting the zoo and seeing the two animals together through the perimeter fence.
Keeper Lucy Manning said: "One day the chick just turned up on the ground. Indu peered at it for a while but then lost interest. I think it was too small to eat and we believe it got away."
A zoo spokesman said: "Some people suggested we should go in to fetch the owl but no-one is allowed into the paddock while the lions are loose."
