Photographer Captures Real Life ‘Lion King’ Moment When Mother Baboon Lifts Baby to the Sky

Controversial statement ahead: out of all of the scenes in ALL of the animated Disney films, the most powerful is the moment in The Lion King when Rafiki lifts baby Simba above his head, showing off his royal stature to all of the animal subjects down below. For whatever reason, that moment of movie magic gets us every time! So, when we came across a photo shoot that captures a similar moment in real life, we were immediately awestruck.

The photo was taken by an Israeli photographer by the name of Dafna Ben Nun while on a trip in Zimbabwe. During the course of her travels in the African nation, Nun was fortunate enough to snag some incredible shots, but none of her others came close to rivaling her shot of two baboons doing their best Lion King impression.

Here is the original in case you need a refresher or *gasp* have NEVER seen the movie before. (If that’s the case, you better watch it the moment you finish reading this!)

Quite the impressive impersonation, if you ask us!

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw an adult baboon holding a baby, looking exactly like Simba in the Lion King,” the photographer recalls. “It was just a split second, but it was fascinating to watch!”

Since posting the photo earlier this week, news outlets have shared the remarkable image over and over again. We wouldn’t be surprised if it gains “viral status” by next week. Talk about the shot of the lifetime!

We’d love to get your reaction of this real-life Lion King moment! Are you a fan of this picture? What is your all-time favorite scene from a Disney movie? Have you ever seen a similar scene unfold in nature before?