When it comes to unbelievable clips on the internet, this viral video from Pench easily tops the list. It shows a man casually petting a tiger — yes, a real tiger — thinking it was just a large house cat.
However, OrissaPOST could not independently verify the authenticity of the video clip.
The incident reportedly took place October 4, 2025, in Pench, India, and the footage has now gone viral for obvious reasons. The star of the clip? Raju Patel, a 52-year-old labourer who had just wrapped up a late-night card game with friends and was a bit tipsy from homemade liquor.
Here’s the viral video:
TRUE INCIDENT (as received)
On October 4, 2025, in Pench, India, a surreal moment was captured on CCTV. Raju Patel, a 52-year-old labourer, patted a tiger he mistook for a “big cat” after a late-night card game, tipsy from homemade liquor. Raju stumbled onto a street where a… pic.twitter.com/D2tx2ZLUiJ
— Mukul Dekhane (@dekhane_mukul) October 29, 2025
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As Raju walked home through a dimly lit street, he spotted what he thought was a “big cat” sitting quietly near a wall. Without a hint of fear, he mumbled, “Move aside, kitty,” and gently patted the animal’s head. Unbeknownst to him, it was a sub-adult Bengal tiger that had wandered out of the Pench Tiger Reserve after being displaced by monsoon floods.
For nearly ten minutes, the man and the tiger shared an oddly calm moment. Raju even tried offering the majestic predator a sip from his bottle — which, fortunately, the tiger ignored.
Soon after, forest officials arrived with spotlights and mild tranquillizers. They carefully guided the exhausted tiger back to the reserve around 3 a.m. No one was hurt — neither man nor beast — but the story quickly spread across social media.
Locals now call Raju a “living legend.” When reporters asked how he managed to stay calm, he shrugged and said, “It was just a pussy cat.”
Authorities have since placed Raju under police protection after he reportedly received hundreds of messages from curious (and jealous) men asking for the secret recipe of his homemade brew.
The viral video continues to make rounds online, leaving everyone amazed — and reminding us that some viral moments are just too wild to believe.
PNN
