A Chinese tourist has been bitten by a lion cub while interacting with it at a lion cafe in Phuket, and chose to pay for rabies vaccination independently after cafe staff said it was not necessary. The case has renewed debate in China over the safety of venues that use big cats as a paid attraction.
The tourist first described the incident on Chinese social media, saying the cub bit their arm and broke the skin during a paid interaction session. Staff wiped the wound with iodine and said the cafe’s lions had been vaccinated, so no medical treatment was needed.
On 10 August, Chinese outlet Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reached the tourist directly. They said they went and got a rabies vaccination in Thailand at their own expense because they remained uneasy despite the staff’s assurance. They reported no serious health problems, but a fever and arm pain after the injection.
Mild fever and soreness at the injection site are among the commonly reported side effects of rabies vaccination and are not an indication that treatment has failed.
The account has circulated widely across Chinese platforms including Sina, NetEase, Tencent News and Sohu, with many users urging travellers not to take the risk. A widely shared comment noted that a lion cub is still a wild animal capable of injuring people while playing or teething, and advised anyone bitten or scratched to disregard verbal assurances from staff, wash the wound immediately, and go to a hospital.
The cafe involved has not been named in any of the Chinese reports, and Thaiger has not independently identified it.
Why the animal’s vaccination status does not settle it
Health guidance in Thailand treats any bite or scratch that breaks the skin from a mammal as a potential rabies exposure. The recommended response is to wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water, then seek post-exposure vaccination promptly, regardless of what the animal’s owner says about its vaccination record.
The reason is the stakes rather than the odds. Rabies is close to universally fatal once symptoms appear, and there is no effective treatment at that stage. Thailand records deaths most years, including an Ubon Ratchathani man who died in May after being scratched by a puppy.
Phuket café’s lion cub sparks police and wildlife officers manhunt
Lion cafes and the law in Thailand
Lion cafes have spread through Phuket, Chiang Mai and Bangkok in recent years. For a few hundred to over a thousand baht, visitors can sit with lion cubs at close range and take photographs.
Lions are classed as controlled wildlife under Thailand’s Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act B.E. 2562. Keepers need permission to possess them, and the animals must be kept at the address where they are registered.
Enforcement has been uneven. In February 2024, authorities seized a lion cub known as Nong Kiwi after finding it had not been legally registered and that its conditions fell short of the required standard. In January 2025, police raided a cafe in Ratsada, Phuket, where cubs were used for paid photo sessions, and arrested two Chinese nationals who had entered Thailand on tourist visas and were working without permits.
Operators have defended their standards, and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has said it inspects registered premises and monitors them regularly.
Neither of those earlier cases is connected to the incident reported this week.
Related news
- Ubon Ratchathani man dies from rabies after puppy scratch
- Nakhon Ratchasima sees rise in rabies cases, urges public vigilance
- Black panther cub seized in Mae Sot sting operation
Sources: China.com
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