Indian man walking a tiger caught unawares as the animal charges at him at popular Thailand attraction

Tiger parks are extremely popular in Thailand. However, they have often invited criticism with claims that the animals are drugged to keep them tame so that they do not become aggressive. Recently, one tiger decided to turn things around and attacked a visitor who was walking it around.

A terrifying video shows a big tiger lunging at the Indian man as he pats it on the back and then decides to put his arm around it for a photo. Everything goes blurry as only the sound of the man screaming can be heard for several seconds. The tamer can also be heard trying to control the tiger. The condition of the man is unknown.

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The post that appeared on X, had the caption, "Apparently an Indian man attacked by a tiger in Thailand. This is one of those places where they keep tigers like pets and people can take selfies, feed them etc etc.?"

Tiger parks in Thailand

The incident is believed to have happened at a tiger park in Phuket. The place lets visitors enter tiger enclosures where they can touch the animals. There are trainers inside for safety purposes who direct people on how to pose with the animals, and what to do and what not to do. People can choose from a range of tigers - a baby tiger, a young tiger, a medium-sized tiger and the biggest one.

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The incident has once again triggered the debate on these tiger spaces in Thailand, which have often courted controversy and raised ethical concerns. Animal rights activists say that the tigers are drugged to keep them meek so that they do not threaten visitor safety. These tiger parks are a huge attraction in the country and charge enormous amounts for tickets.

Meanwhile, people on social media gave their own take on the incident. One of them said that the tiger attacked the man because he ignored the direction not to touch the animal above the mentioned body area.

Another said the scary video led them to think that it could have been them there. "These wild animals are heavily drugged to appear docile, but their true nature cannot be tamed. As the sedation fades, a tiger can turn violent, posing a grave threat," the user said.

Tiger parks in Thailand are spread in Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Bangkok and other places.