Lion cub scares dog by sneaking up behind it in viral video

The dog is shocked to find the lion cub sitting behind him

A lion spooks a dog at a farm in South Africa (YouTube)

A video of a sneaky young lion cub prowling behind an unwitting dog and giving it a fright, has gone viral.

The 20-second clip was filmed at the Cornellskop Animal Training Farm, near Capetown, South Africa, where big cats and dogs appear to live in harmony - at least most of the time.

Footage shows the cub slowly creep around the side of a house towards what appears to be a Border Collie. While one dog spots the wily cat and walks away, the Collie is peeks through a window in the house – and is startled to find the cub sitting beside him when he turns back around. The frightened dog then runs away, as the cameraman laughs.

Since it was uploaded by YouTube user Shaun Swingler on 2 August, it has been viewed over 3.5million times.

According to the farm’s website, it is part of the Union Pictures training company established in 1987. The firm trains wild, exotic and domestic animals to appear on film, and has worked with companies including Cadburys, Canon, and Dulux.