Watch: Indian tourist mauled by tiger in Thailand while taking selfie, sparks outcry over wildlife tourism
The video shows the tourist walking alongside a tiger before crouching to pose for a photo. A trainer is seen using a stick in an attempt to manage the animal. Moments later, the tiger suddenly lunges at the man, resulting in a violent attack.
Hyderabad: An Indian tourist was attacked by a tiger in Phuket at Tiger Kingdom while the he was trying to click a selfie with the animal. This unexpected and very distressing occurrence was caught on camera and widely circulated, raising very serious concerns about the ethics and safety of wildlife tourism.
The video depicts the tourist walking beside the tiger and thereafter crouching to pose for a photograph. Then a trainer is seen trying to use his stick to control the animal. Suddenly, once the control was lost, the tiger sprung on the man and attacked him savagely. While the tourist’s fate remains unknown, the authorities and the park management have remained silent on the matter.
This incident has again placed the matter concerning the welfare of captive wild animals used in tourism activities in the limelight. Critics feel that these kinds of establishments commonly put their animals under some kind of sedation to impress the sightseers with an aura of docility, thereby concealing the quite erratic and instinctive nature of these endangered animals. Lots of wildlife activists are demanding regulations and a fresh look at these tourism notions.
Several Internet users posted personal experiences and warnings in comments to the video, lamplighting dangers in close interactions with wild animals. Some say the tiger could have been annoyed by the man repeatedly touching it in sensitive areas; some condemn these kinds of scenarios where big cats are used for photo ops.
Amid international condemnation, a lot of pressure is mounting upon Thai authorities and tourism operators to put in place due concerns about safety, ethics, and respect for wildlife in tourist experiences.
