(TAN): Two employees of a safari in Raipur, India were sacked from their jobs after a video of a pair of tigers running after a tourist bus went viral on social media, reports said.
The incident reportedly happened during the government-run safari group’s trip at the Nandanvan Jungle Safari in central India’s Chhattisgarh state.
The tigers, invited by a strip of cloth hanging from the back of the bus, gave it a chase even as the vehicle was packed with tourists, as per reports. One of the tigers gripped the cloth while the bus picked up speed to flee from the spot, reports said.
One of the tourists reportedly filmed the incident which happened last week. The forest department officials said the bus had stopped after the safari group spotted two tigers in the wilderness and one of the visitors tried to get off the bus, as per reports.
“Seeing him, the tiger rushed towards the bus. The tourist ran inside the bus and tried to shut the door but a window curtain fell and jammed the door,” a forest department official was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.
The official reportedly added the vehicle should not have stopped, the tourist should have been prohibited from leaving the bus, and the guides should have controlled the situation that could have easily turned dangerous.
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“Guides and drivers are trained to ensure the safety of animals and visitors at the safari. But these two staff members ignored protocol. Instead of accelerating the vehicle, they should have waited and let the situation normalize,” Nandanvan safari director M. Mercy Bella was quoted by New York Post as saying.
The department reportedly terminated the service of the two employees after the video of the incident was brought to the notice of the senior officials.
“The services of the vehicle’s driver Omprakash Bharti and guide Naveen Puraina were terminated. They ignored the safari’s standard protocol,” NDTV quoted Bella as saying.
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