This video clip shows a tiger saving a zookeeper ‘s life in Mexico, when a from a leopard’s attacked him. The video has captured international attention.
The YouTube video shows Dharma the leopard preparing to attack Eduardo Serio, a zookeeper at Black Jaguar White Tiger zoo in Mexico City, the Daily Mail reports.
Serio was at first unaware of the danger, as he played with resting lions, gently drumming on one of the lioness’ tummies as he relaxed with them, before the leopard, Dharma, decided to launch a sneak attack from behind.
But as it ran towards Serio, Aztlan the tiger quickly knocks Dharma, the leopard, down.
Dharma only manages to place his paw on the zookeeper’s leg before both Serio and Aztlan get him off.
Serio thanks the tiger with friendly pats and a sincere “thank you” in Spanish, for saving his life. While the incident occurred in October 2015, it recently went viral after somebody posted about it on Reddit, News.com.au reports.
People from around the world have watched the video of the dramatic rescue more than 640,000 times, with many in awe of the tiger.
Others are not as impressed.
“Don’t be fooled,” one person wrote. “The big tiger named Aztlan did not purposefully save some human….he was more likely interested in playing, just as much as the leopard.”
Aztlan is not the only wild animal — or the only big cat — to have saved a human’s life, according to BBC reports.
In June 2005, a group of lions rescued a kidnapped girl in Ethiopia, staying with her until police officers could safely take her home.
It is believed the people who took the girl meant to sell her into a forced marriage. When the lions heard the girl’s cries, experts assume they must have thought she was a baby lion and came to the rescue.
“They stood guard until we found her, and then they just left her behind and unharmed, like a gift, and went back into the forest,” said Sgt. Wondmu Wedaj.
“Everyone thinks this is some kind of miracle, because normally the lions would attack people,” he added.