Tourist mangled by tiger as he tries to take selfie with predator at popular zoo

A widely-shared video shows a tourist being attacked by a tiger while trying to take a selfie with the wild animal - despite the presence of its trainer. The incident occurred at Tiger Kingdom in Phuket, Thailand.

The tourist, who walked alongside the tiger while holding its chain, squatted next to it to take a photo. However, as the trainer attempted to get the tiger to sit and the tourist put his arm around its back, the tiger suddenly lashed out, prompting the man to scream in terror. The video ends abruptly as staff rush to intervene.

Fortunately, the tourist only sustained minor injuries from the attack. However, the incident has sparked heated debate about wildlife safety and the ethics of tourism at establishments like Tiger Kingdom Phuket, which is promoted by Tripadvisor as "a once in a lifetime experience where you can meet, play, and have your photo taken with tigers."

In response, the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, a sanctuary for animals such as elephants and jungle cats, is calling for an end to the exploitation of big cats, stating, "This cruelty must end. For their safety - and ours," reports the Mirror US.

One X user suggested that the tiger was likely provoked by the tourist petting it near its lower back, stating: "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 person said: "Been there. It's Tiger Kingdom in Phuket. They sedate the tigers just enough that they don't have the will to attack. Always feared this could happen."

Another concerned viewer said: "Hopefully this forces the authorities to crack down on these places. It's plain cruelty."

Meanwhile, another critic added: "What is meant to be wild should stay in the wild."

Advocates for animal rights resolutely advise against patronizing attractions like tiger shows, widespread in south-east Asia and Thailand, pointing to conservation troubles and animal welfare violations.

In an online declaration, the Environmental Investigation Agency makes its position crystal clear: "The simplest advice we can give you is if an establishment offers direct tourist interactions with captive animals (selfies, hugging, feeding) and/or promotes tigers engaging in unnatural behaviors (e.g. tricks or performances) then do not visit."

"The economic choice of avoiding tiger entertainment venues can cut down on their profits and ultimately put a stop to these kinds of animal cruelty."

The statement also draws attention to the disturbing trend of separating young tiger cubs from their mothers, enabling hand-rearing and interaction such as bottle-feeding by tourists.

The statement went on to say: "This is extremely stressful for both cubs and mothers, particularly if you consider that, in the wild, they would stay together for a couple of years."