An Indian tourist was attacked by a tiger while trying to take a selfie with the wild animal at the Tiger Kingdom in Phuket in Thailand.
A video of the incident is going viral on social media platforms where the Indian tourist, whose identity has been disclosed, is seen walking the tiger with a chain around its neck.
The trainer who was walking beside them encouraged the Indian man to take a selfie with the wild cat.
However, as he knelt down beside the wild animal, the tiger suddenly attacked, pinning him to the ground.
The person who was taking the video immediately ran to the man’s rescue. It is not clear what happened next, but screams of the tourist could be heard till the video ends.
The video has triggered a barrage of reactions, mostly sympathising with the tiger and criticising the practice of wildlife tourism. “Glad the tiger got a good meal. Hopefully, this forces the authorities to crack down on these places. It’s plain cruelty,” said one X user.
“What is meant to be wild should stay in the wild,” said another X user.
Some have even speculated what might have triggered the tiger’s reaction. “Cats generally do not like being petted on the lower (back) body especially near butts. This man was petting the tiger continuously near above mentioned body area which must have frustrated the tiger. Final straw was when the man cupped it for a photo,” said one X user.
Others put the blame on the trainer, saying, “They were fine until the trainer started poking at it with the guide stick. It’s probably an indication the animal has been treated roughly with that exact tool in hand. Go figure.”
Tiger Kingdom Phuket is a wildlife attraction located in Phuket, Thailand, offering visitors the opportunity to interact closely with tigers of various ages and sizes. Although the place is legal under Thai law, it faces allegations of drugging the animals to make them complicit. However, these allegations are denied on their website and states that the animals are raised by humans from a young age, which makes them accustomed to human interaction.
“Our animals are never chained, sedated, declawed or defanged. Daily human contact helps to create a bond between tiger and keeper and makes our big cats responsive to positive reinforcement training. Our tigers have no fear of humans and do not see us as prey, as such they do not feel any aggression towards people and are very relaxed around us,” the website reads.
Tiger selfies are abusive, unethical
According to World Animal Protection, Thailand’s tiger selfie tourism industry is plain animal abuse. A 2016 report states the conditions in which these tigers are raised and trained to soothe a human’s ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ moment.
The report states that tiger cubs are separated from their mothers just two to three weeks after birth. They are presented to tourists and mishandled hundreds of times a day, which can lead to stress and injury. If a tiger gets aggressive, the wild cats are punished using pain through starvation. Most tigers are reportedly housed in small concrete cages or barren enclosures with limited access to fresh water.
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