The camera was rolling when a lion-tiger hybrid jumped on a National Geographic photographer in an animal sanctuary after pulling away from his handler.
Thankfully, the photographer, Steve Winter, was uninjured in the incident, with some saying the animal was just trying to play with him as opposed to attacking. Nonetheless, at 275 pounds, even when just playing, the tiliger (a hybrid of a male tiger and a female ligress) could easily cause serious injury.
The incident happened at the Safari Sanctuary in Oklahoma, where the 18-month-old tiliger, Langely, was taken after being rescued from an exotic animal park that no longer wanted him. Winter was there to work on "The Tiger Next Door," which documents captive tigers, which is featured in the December issue of National Geographic and highlights the issues big cats living in captivity face.
Jumped...gimme a break.
The thing was clearly playing....
Thats what I think of at that moment when a Tiger/Lion is coming at me. Maybe he wants to play?! He should chill out :)
Because he would normally be in an enclosure with a wild animal?
Obviously this was a bred/designed/manufactured pet as evidenced by the fact that it's handler had it on a leash.
Come on man, use your head.
Sooo with that said, any animal in an enclosed environment would always be clearly playing? Cmon man use your head, anything can happen when it comes to any animal. Its not 100% definitive. Either a family dog, or even a tiger. Not to get too off topic, only point I’m trying to make is the man’s reaction is acceptable, and a valid reaction. I was merely bringing up the point that throwing shade at how he handled the situation is silly. Replaying a video and judging the situation pales into comparison to what he was dealing with at that moment in time.
Use my head?
You would be in an enclosed space with anything but a tamed/restrained animal who could rip you to threads just with a casual swat?
This is where we get the term... "world's dumbest photographers".
Beauty fades but dumb is forever. Common sense never goes out of style, it's just forgotten until a tragedy happens...you know...like posing couples on a live set of railroad tracks...hanging over a cliff to "get the shot" without a tether etc.
Want more examples?
Did he get the shot?
That second handler sure did not drop her phone though ! ... guess priorities are not what they used to be !
Must have been an important phone call for her. "I should sign off now. Little Langley is mauling this photographer."
"...lion-tiger hybrid..."
Would this occur naturally? I would imagine not. Who thought this was a great idea?
Don't you mean Liger? Pretty much my favorite animal...bred for its skills in Magic
No, I meant a tiliger... GOSH