Lion Cafe in Chiang Mai Inspected After Mauling Chinese Tourist
A Chinese tourist was bitten on the face by a lion cub at a Chiang Mai cafe on August 28 while posing for photos; authorities issued a warning after finding the facility failed to report the incident promptly.
Officials from the Wildlife Conservation Section, Area Conservation Administration Region 16 (Chiang Mai), inspected a lion cafe in Chiang Mai's Muang district on September 3 following social media reports that a Chinese tourist was bitten on the face while photographing a lion cub at the facility.
Investigation revealed that the lion cub was lawfully transferred to the cafe under authorization from Region 2 (Si Racha) Conservation Administration for a temporary 30-day period from August 17 to September 16 to facilitate displays and photography.
According to Siam, a person connected to the facility, the incident occurred on August 28 when one of four Chinese tourists visiting that day entered the display area. After completing the required hand sanitization, reading safety guidelines, and receiving instructions from staff, the tourist proceeded to directly hold and embrace the lion cub before bringing his face close to the animal. The cub suddenly turned and bit the tourist on the face.
Officials noted that the wounds were not severe, consisting of two claw marks on the face. Staff immediately cleaned the wound and provided basic first aid before transferring the tourist to Central Chiang Mai Memorial Hospital for wound treatment and rabies and tetanus vaccinations. The cafe refunded the full package cost and provided 4,000 baht in additional compensation.
However, officials found that the cafe failed to report the emergency incident to authorities within the required timeframe, resulting in a formal written warning. Officials cautioned that any similar incidents in future will result in strict enforcement of applicable laws and regulations.
Authorities also recommended that the cafe implement stricter control and monitoring measures for entry and exit to the controlled wildlife display area to ensure tourist and public safety as well as animal welfare. Officials explicitly prohibited tourists and outsiders from lifting, holding, or directly touching lions and lion cubs under any circumstances to prevent harm to human life and health, and to protect the hygiene and welfare of controlled wildlife.
