A Chinese tourist was injured by a lion cub at a Phuket animal cafe during the Lunar New Year period, according to staff interviewed by Phuket's Tourist Assistance Center (TAC) on 11 August.

The tourist had claimed in a video shared by Chinese media that a lion bit their arm, breaking the skin. Staff at the cafe, in Soi Na Yai, Chalong, Mueang Phuket district, said the injury was only an abrasion and was treated on site.

The establishment said the lion involved was a cub named Caesar, not Charlie as stated in the online post. Staff said all lions at the venue had been vaccinated.

Staff say first aid was provided

According to information initially circulated online, the tourist was interacting with the lion when the animal bit their arm. Cafe staff reportedly cleaned the wound, applied iodine and told the visitor that the animal had been vaccinated.

The TAC visited the cafe after the story raised questions over safety measures at venues where visitors can get close to, or touch, large predatory animals.

Cafe employees told officials that first aid had been given immediately after the incident. The incident took place sometime ago, during the Lunar New Year, staff said. The cafe could not provide CCTV footage because too much time had passed since the event.

The cafe staff have confirmed that a Chinese tourist was injured, while maintaining that it involved a very minor abrasion caused by a small lion cub and occurred sometime ago.

Pictures courtesy of Amarin

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12 August 2026

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The Phuket Tourist Assistance Center (TAC) is downplaying an incident where a lion cub bit a tourist in a Chalong cafe, focusing on damage control rather than animal welfare.

By treating a predator as a photo opportunity, this incident highlights a growing, exploitative industry that requires intervention from the Department of National Parks (DNP) rather than local tourism officials.

Lion cubs are not cuddly kittens to be pawed amd mauled... stupidity.