In yet another instance of humans defying nature, a man was mauled by a tiger after attempting to take a selfie with the predator in Thailand.
Footage shows the reckless visitor at the Tiger Kingdom zoo in Phuket kneeling beside the wild animal and placing his arm around its back as if it were a friend.
The animal suddenly knocked the tourist over, and he began to scream in desperation.
Highlights
- A tourist was mauled by a tiger after putting his arm around its back at a zoo in Phuket, Thailand.
- A handler wrestled with the animal to prevent it from taking the tourist’s life.
- The incident is the latest in a series of tiger attacks on humans at zoos, sparking renewed concern about the safety of wildlife tourism.
A handler quickly intervened, wrestling with the animal to prevent further injury to the man.
The video went viral, with many viewers expressing little surprise at the outcome of the visitor's actions.
It also reignited debates about the ethics and safety of wildlife tourism in petting zoos like Tiger Kingdom.
A man was attacked by a tiger in Thailand, after attempting to take a selfie with the animal
Image credits: DS light photography/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
"When you sedate a beast of prey, chain and captivate it for your own selfish profit, this is what you get back!" one person wrote.
"People are stupid playing with a predator," another simply stated.
"Tigers should be allowed a large jungle to roam free and hunt freely, not to pose for selfies with tourists," agreed a separate user.
Footage shows the tourist placing his arm around the tiger before it suddenly knocked him over
Image credits: sidhshuk
On its website, Tiger Kingdom promotes a "lifetime experience" of close interaction with tigers and cheetahs—posing for photos and even petting them.
Both children and adults appear in gallery photos with the animals, snuggling with them on the floor, stroking cheetahs’ ears, grabbing a tiger's tail, or posing with their faces touching the animals.
The video of the incident went viral and sparked debate over the ethics and safety of wildlife tourism
Image credits: sidhshuk
"Our animals are never chained, sedated, declawed or defanged," the website states. "Daily human contact helps to create a bond between tiger and keeper and makes our big cats responsive to positive reinforcement training."
It also mentions that their tigers "have no fear of humans and do not see" them as prey, adding that the wild animals are "very relaxed" around people.
According to The Daily Mail, the man in the video was fortunate to have sustained only minor injuries in the attack.
Animal rights groups have raised concerns about the welfare of animals in such enclosures, alleging that tigers are often sedated to keep them submissive.
Tiger Kingdom, where the attack occurred, offers close interactions with their big cats, claiming they are “very relaxed” and “have no fear of humans”
Image credits: sidhshuk
Campaigner group Lady Freethinker (LFT) said it had found cruelty against "photo-prop" animals in visits to 11 zoos across Thailand, The Independent reported in 2023.
These practices included holding lit flames under the tigers' noses to make them lift their heads for photos, as well as whipping the animals.
Elisa Allen, PETA vice president of the UK, criticized the zoos, saying, "The quest for a 'cute' selfie or a few 'likes' on social media has fuelled a lucrative worldwide market of exploitation and cruelty."
The zoo claims its animals are not chained, sedated, declawed, or defanged
Image credits: The Million Years Stone Park & Pattaya Crocodile Farm
People have also called for the Thai government to implement stricter regulations to ensure the safety of both animals and humans.
There have been many cases of seemingly “tame” tigers attacking people. In 2017, zookeeper Rosa King was mauled by a tiger at Hamerton Zoo Park in England and lost her life at the scene due to traumatic injuries.
The 33-year-old woman had entered an enclosure without recognizing that a metal slide designed to isolate the animal had been left open.
Calls have been made for the Thai government to introduce stricter regulations to protect both humans and animals
Image credits: Tiger Kingdom
In 2014, The Guardian reported that an Australian tourist, Paul Goudie, required surgery after being mauled by a young tiger at Tiger Kingdom.
"We did everything as the park people advised," Goudie told reporters at the hospital after sustaining serious injuries to his left leg and stomach.
In 2014, an Australian tourist was seriously injured by a young tiger at Tiger Kingdom
Image credits: Tiger Kingdom
"I am not sure why it bit me. When it did [attack] I had no choice except to whack it in the face a couple of times.”
Goudie stated that the handler had been with his group "the whole time," and the attack occurred shortly after he patted the animal.
"Everything was fine. I just stood up to leave," he described.
Image credits: Africa Studio/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
Thai authorities said Goudie may have moved awkwardly as park handlers assisted him back to his feet, with the unusual movement triggering the attack, the outlet reported.
The tiger was tasered by park staff, forcing it to retreat.
Image credits: AB Photography/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
In 2013, Isabelle Brennan, a 19-year-old British student, was left permanently scarred after a tiger weighing approximately 400 pounds (180 kilograms) knocked her to the ground and bit through her thigh at the Tiger Temple park in Kanchanaburi, Thailand.
Two years earlier, in 2011, a Thai woman sustained serious injuries to her head and arm after being attacked by a tiger at the Million Year Stone Park and Pattaya Crocodile Farm in eastern Thailand.
Social media users strongly criticized the tourist’s behavior
