Wild animals exhibit remarkable restraint when tourists in vehicles violate their space. But occasionally, they lash out.
Video footage shared Sunday by a member of the Indian Forest Service shows an agitated tiger aggressively charging an open-topped vehicle before responding to loud sounds made by a guide and retreating into the forest.
(Click here to view the footage.)
“Sometimes, our ‘too much’ eagerness for ‘Tiger sighting’ is nothing but intrusion in their life,” Surender Mehra bemoaned via X.
Viewers might note that, with the vehicle just yards from the tiger, at least one infant can be heard in the audio.
The post brings to question the issue of responsible tourism, as in, how close is too close for the safety of wildlife and tourists? (In most regions of the world, any action that glaringly alters the behavior of a wild animal might be considered harassment.)
Reads one of the top comments: “But why [do] the visitors have to risk their life in an open jeep? One leap by the tiger can cause heart attacks to some of them sitting in the jeep. The thrill will vanish in a second.”
The top comment is from a follower who seemed to imply that had the tourists remained silent during the encounter, the tiger might not have felt compelled to lash out:
“Worst is the constant jabbering by tourists – they just won’t keep quiet!”