A toddler was attacked by a leopard at a safari park in Koh Samui, Thailand after the grandfather opened the beast’s pen door in an attempt to take pictures with the animal.
The 2-year-old boy, Orr Burns, was visiting the park together with his family who are from Rishon LeTsiyon, Israel.
According to the reports, the family was watching the elephants before continuing to the big cats in an attempt to take photos with animals that they deemed to be drugged.
Thinking that the leopard was made docile for their amusement, the grandfather opened the door to its enclosure to take pictures with the animal.
However, the leopard was very much awake and immediately charged the two-year-old upon opening the door.
Tony the 6-year-old Leopard bit the boy on the face and fractured his cheekbone before the others managed to repel the big cat.
“The leopard is supposed to be drowsy, fuzzy and not aggressive. There should be a person next to the animal’s cage. There was no ambulance there and they didn’t know how to evacuate him,” the boy’s father, Rafi, said.
“We felt like we were helpless. I rushed to the cars and asked for him to be taken to the hospital. Everyone was scared and didn’t want to take. We didn’t believe such a disaster would happen.”
As uncle Rafe Benvenisti alleged, the tour guide told them it was safe to enter the enclosure because the leopard was supposed to be drugged and ready for picture-taking with tourists.
“We waited at the door and it was closed with a hook. Nobody knew what was behind the door, so one of the men opened the handle, and the tiger ran to the door and escaped. There were screams. [The animal] jumped on Orr’s mother, passed under her feet then leapt at the child,” Rafe recalled.
“[It] locked onto his face for four or five seconds. He didn’t release Orr until one of the locals kicked the tiger in the head. Everyone was shocked. We were looking for someone to take us to a hospital. We started screaming until someone drove a vehicle and took us.
“[The leopard] is supposed to be drugged and sleepy. People are supposed to be brought into it only after it is fed and asleep. That was not the case. Everyone who has visited Thailand has pictures with this tiger. It’s a normal thing to do.”
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