Dreamworld handlers filmed hitting tiger and pulling it by its tail
Dreamworld handlers have been criticised on social media after vision emerged of the men striking a tiger on the face and pulling on its tail.
A guest at the Gold Coast theme park Xy Latu was visiting with his family when the incident unfolded in front of him.
“Wtf is going on there dreamworld?” he wrote alongside the video.
Dreamworld has defended the experienced handlers' actions saying the two tigers were displaying antagonistic behaviour and needed separating.
"Open hand taps to the facial area is the safest way to refocus tigers who are challenging each other," the spokesperson told Yahoo7.
"The tiger’s tail is one of its strongest parts of the body. Tigers and handlers routinely play with the tail.
"Akasha and Kai are both 100+kg animals and the intervention of our handlers prevented a situation that may have escalated."
Social media users reacted to the vision voicing their outrage after the footage surfaced.
“That's so far beyond disgusting and I hope there's justice for their actions,” another added.
The incident comes just weeks after emotional friends and families marked the one year anniversary of the tragic Thunder River Rapids ride accident that killed four people.
Kate Goodchild, her brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozi Araghi, along with Sydney woman Cindy Low, were all killed when their raft flipped over.
