Man Brutally Attacked By Tiger After He Tried To Click A Selfie With It

In a viral video that’s equal parts shocking and sadly predictable, a man visiting Thailand’s Tiger Kingdom was mauled by a tiger after attempting to snap a selfie with the animal. He knelt beside the big cat, wrapped his arm around its back like they were old pals, and within seconds, found himself screaming on the floor.

You’d think, by now, we’d have collectively learned that predators aren’t props. But here we are—again.

The incident happened at the Tiger Kingdom zoo in Phuket, a facility that invites tourists to snuggle up to tigers and cheetahs under the guise of a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.” Their website insists the animals aren’t chained or sedated, and that daily human interaction makes them “relaxed” around people. Relaxed, until someone makes the wrong move.

Thankfully, a quick-reacting handler managed to wrestle the tiger away before things turned fatal. The tourist got off with minor injuries—physically, at least. His pride may take longer to heal.

Online reactions were swift and brutally honest. One commenter summed it up: “Play with a predator, win a trip to the ER.” Another pointed to the exploitation that fuels these places: “When you sedate a beast, chain it for selfies, and call it tourism, this is what you get back.”

And they’re not wrong. Investigations into Thailand’s photo-prop animal industry have revealed ugly truths—like handlers using lit torches to force tigers to pose, or whipping them into submission. A 2023 report by Lady Freethinker documented animal cruelty in 11 such facilities. And PETA’s UK vice president didn’t mince words: “The pursuit of a ‘cute’ selfie has created a market of exploitation and cruelty.”

This isn’t an isolated incident, either. In 2014, an Australian tourist was seriously mauled by a young tiger at the very same zoo. He claimed he followed all the rules. That didn't stop the animal from sinking its teeth into his leg and stomach. In 2013, a British student was left permanently scarred after a tiger attacked her at another Thai wildlife park. These are not accidents—they’re inevitable outcomes.

Here’s the hard truth: No enclosure, no amount of “positive reinforcement,” and no smiling tour guide can erase thousands of years of predatory instinct. You can’t tame wild.

Should these places even exist? Maybe that's the real question. Because the more we pretend predators are playthings, the more likely we are to end up on the wrong side of the cage.