Phuket’s Tiger Kingdom – a popular tourist attraction which allows visitors to directly interact with tigers – has reopened to the public despite a recent tiger attack on a visitor inside one of its enclosures.

The tiger unexpectedly attacked an Australian man, who sustained injuries to his stomach and legs after the mauling. The man was left needing surgery as a result of the attack sustained while posing for a photograph with a large male tiger.

Major concerns have previously been raised about the welfare of the animals in Tiger Kingdom by animal rights groups and, despite the life-threatening attack, all facilities are fully open with no new procedures in place to prevent a repeat incident.

Local media reported that the attack was a result of the cat’s overprotective nature towards its handlers, with suggestions the animal was trying to defend a member of staff who the tourist reached out to when trying to stand up.

“Tiger Kingdom - which has long been the subject of intense scrutiny for its treatment of the animals imprisoned within its walls - gives people the warped idea that these animals are little more than cuddly kitties who can be used and abused for our entertainment,” read a statement from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

“But captivity does not extinguish all the genetic drives that tigers are meant to follow. Attacks by captive big cats on people - which occur with staggering regularity - illustrate the profound level of stress, anxiety and agitation these animals experience every day of their lives.”

In a statement, Tiger Kingdom said all facilities were fully open and that it would cost 900 THB (US$27, €22, £17) to pose with a small tiger and 1000 THB (US$30, €24, £19) to enter the cage with one of the larger animals.