A man intentionally petting a tiger during feeding time was unexpectedly bitten on the hand by the animal, which refused to let go.
The incident occurred at a private zoo in Periban, western Mexico.
In the clip, an employee named José de Jesús reaches his hand through a steel fence to call a Bengal tiger over and pet it. The animal then turns its head, approaches the zookeeper, and uses its front paw to strike the fence.
The tiger opened its mouth and bit straight into Jesús’s right hand.
Surprisingly, when the man touched its neck, the tiger’s mood suddenly changed; it opened its mouth and bit down hard on Jesús’s right hand. In excruciating pain, Jesús screamed, but the tiger still would not let go.
After being taken to the hospital, doctors recommended amputating his arm to save his life. However, the man refused. Due to complications, Jesús ultimately died from a heart attack.
In the wild, Bengal tigers are pure carnivores. They hunt animals ranging from medium to large sizes, such as wild boars, spotted deer, sambar deer, antelopes, gaur, and water buffalo. Typically, Bengal tigers do not dare to attack adult elephants and rhinoceroses, but such incidents can occasionally occur.
This species is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with its population steadily declining. Their habitat is becoming increasingly limited due to human encroachment. Currently, Bengal tigers are mainly found in small forested areas in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
