Chinese tourist pays for rabies vaccine after lion cub bite at Phuket cafe

A Chinese tourist paid for a rabies vaccination in Thailand after a lion cub bit their arm and broke the skin during a paid session at a Phuket cafe, according to an account reported by Chinese media.

The tourist said cafe staff cleaned the wound with iodine and told them the lions had been vaccinated. Still uneasy, the tourist paid for the vaccine themselves, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported after speaking to them on 10 August.

The tourist said they had experienced no serious health problems but developed a fever and pain in the arm after the injection. Fever and soreness at the injection site are common side effects of rabies vaccination.

The account, which was first posted on Chinese social media, spread across platforms including Sina, NetEase, Tencent News and Sohu. Many users urged travellers not to risk close contact with big cats.

Thai health guidance treats any bite or scratch that breaks the skin as a possible rabies exposure. It advises washing the wound with soap and running water and seeking vaccination as soon as possible, regardless of assurances about an animal’s vaccination status. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.

The cafe was not named in the Chinese report. Lion cafes have expanded in Phuket, Chiang Mai and Bangkok, where visitors can sit with cubs at close range for photographs.

Lions are controlled wildlife under Thailand’s Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act. Keepers need permission to own them, and the animals must remain at their registered address.