Thai man tries petting giraffe in zoo, quickly learns how painful a headbutt is

A 30-year-old Thai man, Surakij Suppachockchai, was headbutted by a giraffe in a petting attempt gone awry.

The incident happened in Thailand’s Khon Kaen Zoo yesterday (Jun 18) and the entire process was caught on video by Surakij’s girlfriend, and uploaded onto Surakij's Facebook page.

The couple was on a date at the zoo when Surakij attempted to touch the majestic animal, reports Coconuts Bangkok. 

In the video, Surakij slowly approached the animal, with his hand stretched out. 

The giraffe suddenly swung its head and the camera was thrown off the shot. 

After the incident, Surakij openly admitted that he was an ‘idiot’, citing:

“I was excited and happy so I tried to pet it.

“The giraffe looked annoyed, and then it headbutted me.”

Surakij reportedly suffered some scratches on his left shoulders after the incident but said he was fine.

Having survived the ordeal, he also left some useful tips for future visitors:

“Don’t get too close to the animals.

"We love animals, but maybe they don’t love us back.”