Big Picture

Dicing with death? Check!

Every day, hundreds of tourists, including young children, risk life and limb during their visit to a private tiger zoo in Phuket, Thailand.

Here, visitors are allowed to touch and pose for photographs with unchained tigers inside their enclosures, like this tourist is doing.

This unique attraction, called Tiger Kingdom, is clearly for travellers who have a penchant for flirting with danger.

The tigers here are born in captivity, and monitored by Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation .

That is not to say they are tame, and will not behave like wild animals usually do.

Just last year, a British tourist was mauled by a large tiger at the park, in a rapid and unexpected attack.

The 49-year-old man sustained injuries to his stomach and legs, and was later admitted to a Phuket hospital for emergency treatment.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 21, 2015, with the headline Dicing with death? Check!. Subscribe