Thai zoo under fire after video of tiger bring prodded goes viral

Tourists pose with a roaring tiger being prodded by a Pattaya zoo staff. - AFP/Handout Edwin Wiek

PATTAYA: A Thai zoo has sparked outrage after a video of staff repeatedly prodding a tiger to elicit roars for tourist photos went viral, renewing criticism of the kingdom's notorious animal tourism industry.

The clip, which has garnered more than one million views since it was posted on Monday, shows the Pattaya zoo attendant jabbing the chained animal in the face with a stick as tourists take turns posing with or sitting on top of the big cat for pictures.