Terrifying moment captured on camera as tiger lunges at tourist posing for photo
A terrifying moment was captured on camera, reportedly at an animal park in Thailand, showing a tiger suddenly attacking a tourist during what appeared to be an interaction for a photo. The shocking footage has raised serious concerns about visitor safety and the risks involved in close encounters with wild animals.
The video, which surfaced on X (formerly Twitter), opens with three figures walking side by side — a tourist reportedly from India, a chained tiger, and a man with a stick who appears to be the tiger's trainer. The tourist, kneeling to pat the tiger, may have been posing for a photo when, in a sudden turn of events, the tiger launched its attack. For a few seconds, everything appears calm. Then, the tiger suddenly lunges at the man, and the camera shakes violently as the scene descends into chaos. The visuals become blurry, but the panic is unmistakable — loud screams echo in the background as people react to the attack.
The post was captioned, 'Apparently an Indian man attacked by a tiger in Thailand. This is one of those places where they keep tigers like pets and people can take selfies, feed them etc etc.?'
Though the exact condition of the man is not confirmed, the video has raised serious concerns about such wildlife tourism spots.
The location, according to several comments, is Tiger Kingdom in Phuket — a well-known tourist attraction in Thailand where visitors are allowed close interactions with tigers, including feeding, walking, and even posing for selfies.
Also read: Elephant in Kerala pulls stuck Toyota Fortuner from lake 'like a toy'. Watch
Many took to the comments section to voice their concern.
A user wrote, '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.'
One user noted, "My immediate reaction to this video was a chilling realization: that could have been me! This chilling video exposes a dangerous trend: many Indian tourists are lured into risky photo-ops with tigers in Thailand, often due to relentless peer pressure. These wild animals are heavily drugged to appear docile, but their true nature cannot be tamed. As the sedation fades, a tiger can turn violent, posing a grave threat."
A user commented, 'Been there. Its tiger kingdom in Phuket. They sedate the tigers Just enough that they dont have the will to attack. Always feared this could happen.'
HT.com has not independently verified the location of this incident.
Also read: Polish woman drops truth bombs about life in India after 2 years: 'No sugarcoating, just real talk.'
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