Viral footage captures the moment a tiger pounces on tourist who wanted a selfie

Intense footage captured the moment a tourist was attacked by a tiger during an animal experience in Thailand that has since been branded “cruel” and “disgusting” by people on Twitter.

The footage, initially shared by the Twitter account Sidharth Shukla, showed an Indian tourist walking with the tiger on a lead as he patted it on the back. According to numerous reports, the video was taken at the Tiger Kingdom experience in Phuket, Thailand, and showed the animal keeper tap the top predator into position for a photograph. The park has since denied that the incident happened at their location, urging local news outlets to correct their reports.

Upon kneeling on the ground for a better selfie, the tiger seemingly turned on the tourist, who fell backwards with the big cat on top of him. Screams could then be heard as both the animal handler and photographer scrambled to save the tourist from the animal’s 1,250-pound bite force. According to this report, the tourist sustained “minor” injuries from the tiger attack and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

This is not the first time such experiences have been forced to contend with backlash, with one park closing its Phuket location for a short time in 2014 after an Australian tourist was bitten. As per its website, the park uses “positive reinforcement techniques” to train the top predators, and not sedation, declawing, and defanging as other locations do.

Still, the video has amassed 3.7 million views and thousands of comments calling for the better treatment of animals.

I hope the tiger is okay. ❤️
Y’all need to stop supporting these horrible businesses. #StopAnimalExploitation #AnimalTourism #Thailand https://t.co/NZSBxjjiQc

— Jennifer (@JenniferPeetes) May 30, 2025

People react to the tiger attacking the tourist

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The viral video has sparked a huge amount of pusback on both Twitter and Facebook, with one person writing: “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. The final straw was when the man cupped it for a photo.”

“Those poor tigers are abused so badly and drugged and prodded with iron hooks on their bums- such horrible treatment for such majestic creatures for the stupid vanity of equally stupid people -who think it makes them a Superhero to pose next to a drugged, abused animal,” another wrote.

Someone else said, “And what’s ridiculous is thinking you can control a tiger with a leash. It’s not a small dog that you can control. It’s a big cat with powerful muscles. It’s physically way more powerful than any human.”

they're not dolls for your silly entertainment, abolish zoos and let them live peacefully in their ecosystem https://t.co/UiYA0CfemI

— shavo (@shavoawesome) May 30, 2025

Even PETA got involved, with senior vice president Jason Baker writing: “This incident is yet another reminder that wild animals don’t belong in cages or entertainment shows. We shouldn’t be surprised when tigers act like tigers. The complex needs of animals can never be met in a zoo, so it’s hardly surprising when they ‘snap’ after years of being restrained, abused, and forced to entertain.”

Though the video was believed to have been taken at the Tiger Kingdom in Thailand, its managing director, Pornrawee Samakthai, spoke to the Phuket News about the incident.

She said, “The viral videos do not depict our location or our staff. The incident occurred in Si Racha, Chonburi, not at our Phuket facility or any of our branches.

“Tiger Kingdom emphasised its commitment to animal welfare and visitor safety, and tigers at our facilities are not chained or restrained. Visitors are guided by professional handlers at every interaction point… The brand has never recorded a serious accident since its inception.

“Tigers are not forced to perform, eat, play, or sleep under pressure. Tiger Park and Tiger Kingdom have implemented comprehensive safety and animal care measures. We take a serious issue with the false media reports linking us to this incident, which have damaged our reputation.”

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Featured image credit: Sidharth Shukla/Twitter