Tiger selfie turns savage: Indian tourist mauled in Phuket (video)
Indian man attacked by big cat after trying to get close to take a photo
A dream holiday snap turned into a nightmare for one tourist in Phuket after a tiger lashed out during a selfie stunt—leaving social media stunned and raising serious questions about animal welfare at popular tourist attractions.
An Indian tourist suffered minor injuries after being attacked by a tiger at Tiger Kingdom in Phuket. The man, whose identity has not been released, was attempting to take a selfie with the big cat when the incident occurred.
The shocking moment was captured on video and quickly went viral after being posted to social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The 25-second clip shows the man walking beside the tiger before crouching to snap a picture. A trainer nearby can be seen tapping the animal with a stick, attempting to coax it into position.
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
But the tiger had other ideas. It suddenly turned aggressive and lunged at the man, who let out a chilling scream as the animal swiped at him.
“Yes, apparently, minor injuries,” said the original poster in response to concerned viewers asking about the tourist’s condition.
One commenter pointed out that tigers typically dislike being touched on their lower backs, especially by strangers. “This man was petting the tiger continuously in that area. The final straw was when he cupped it for a photo,” the user explained.
Others slammed the incident as a clear example of poor safety standards and unethical animal treatment.
“This video exposes a dangerous trend,” one commenter wrote. “Tourists are being lured into risky photo-ops with tigers across Thailand. This needs to stop before someone dies.”
Critics have long raised concerns about tiger attractions in Thailand, accusing them of exploiting animals for profit and ignoring natural behavioural cues. The viral video has reignited those fears, prompting renewed calls for stricter regulations and better enforcement of animal welfare laws, reported NDTV.
Tiger Kingdom has not released an official statement at the time of writing.
As the clip continues to circulate online, many are now warning travellers to think twice before getting too close to wild animals for the sake of a selfie.
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Tigers, Elephants and Dolphins do not belong into captivity for some people making good money, and thats the only intention behind it.
Time for another discussion to close all this “facilities” since we have arrived in the 21st century already! The Dolphinarium is the worse, keeping animals like this so far away from the sea and their freedom they never will have again, its like locking humans into a 1×1 Meter cell with a 5cm window