A horrifying video of a tourist getting attacked by a tiger during a photo shoot at a zoo in Thailand is going viral online.
Warning: The following video contains content that some may find upsetting.
The alarming incident allegedly occurred as an Indian tourist, whose name has not been disclosed, was attempting to take photographs with the animal at Tiger Kingdom in Phuket, Thailand. The zoo is reportedly known for allowing visitors to get up close and take photos with tigers and other exotic animals.
Apparently an Indian man attacked by a tiger in Thailand.
This is one of those paces where they keep tigers like pets and people can take selfies, feed them etc etc.#Indians #tigers #thailand #AnimalAbuse pic.twitter.com/7Scx5eOSB4
— Sidharth Shukla (@sidhshuk) May 29, 2025
The footage, shared online on Thursday, shows the Indian man walking alongside a chained tiger inside an enclosure in the zoo, accompanied by another man who appears to be the animal’s trainer holding a stick. As they walk, the tourist repeatedly pats the tiger’s back before kneeling to pose for a photo. For a few moments, everything seems calm.
However, just as the tourist crouches to pose for a photo with the big cat, the trainer attempts to get the tiger to sit using the stick. In an instant, the tiger snaps, suddenly becoming aggressive and lunging at the tourist. The tiger knocks him to the ground. The man can be heard screaming in panic as the big cat attacks him.
Bystanders cry out in horror as the trainer rushes in to rescue the tourist. The camera begins to shake violently, capturing the chaos as the scene quickly descends into panic and confusion. The video becomes increasingly blurry as the person filming struggles to keep the camera steady and the clip ends.
According to numerous reports by Indian news outlets, the tourist’s condition is still unclear. But according to Indian social media user Sidharth Shukla — who shared the clip on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) — the man allegedly survived the horrifying attack with minor injuries.
The footage, which racked up 2.7 million views in one day, has started a debate about tourists getting close to wild animals for photos. World Animal Protection describes 40% of “wildlife selfies” posted on social media as “bad selfies” — meaning someone hugging, holding, or inappropriately interacting with a wild animal. A “good” wildlife selfie was described as a picture where there is no contact between an animal and a human, and the animal is not being restrained or held in captivity to be used as a photo prop.
Image credits: Header photo via X/@sidhshuk.
