A young girl in Saudi Arabia had the scare of her life when she was attacked by a tiger during a promotion show.
The attack, captured by an onlooker, occurred in an open space near a market in Sakaka in the northwestern part of the kingdom.
Witnesses said that the tiger was being shown off by its trainer as part of an entertainment program featuring animals when it attacked the girl who started screaming.
The prompt intervention of the trainer rescued her from the wild animal, they added.
However, social media were buzzing with angry remarks that deplored the lack of security precautions, including fences.
“Even if the tiger is tamed, this was a dangerous situation that could have been fatal for the young girl or other spectators,” one user said, quoted by Saudi news site Sabq.
Khalid Al Mutairi, another user, said that the highest safety measures should be followed at all times as wild animals behave instinctively and dangerously.
“This is a wild animal and its instinct is to attack, so regardless of the time spent taming it, its nature never changes and its killing readiness remains strong,” he said. “All the necessary measures should be taken to ensure the highest levels of safety. Unfortunately, some people today look at keeping wild animals as a harmless fashion.”
In November 2013, a five-year-old Qatari boy was attacked by a baby leopard causing him serious injuries.
