China circus under fire for tying down tiger and letting children sit on it for photos
Animal cruelty is forbidden and unfortunately, a circus in Guangxi, China, has chosen to disregard this.
It is now facing legal action after it restrained a tiger and allowed children to sit on it for photos, reported the South China Morning Post.
In a video uploaded to Chinese social media on Dec 6, a man is shown lifting a child onto the tiger’s back, while another man sits in front of the animal to take pictures. Children are also shown waiting in line for their turn.
The tiger is seen lying on a metal table with its hind legs tied. It was not sedated, according to local media reports.
Local authorities are now investigating the circus and have found it engaging in illegal practices. The Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau told Chinese media that the circus had been conducting “unauthorised performances” at Hengli Square in Tiandong county.
The circus is now closed, having been ordered to stop performances immediately.
That has not appeased the wrath of unhappy netizens, who have continued to condemn the circus’ cruel act.
Said one netizen: “Children are fearless, adults are ignorant, and businessmen are unethical. Treating a tiger like a toy not only lacks basic ethics but also gambles with human lives. It’s a dangerous farce!”
It’s sadly not the first time that tigers have been treated badly in China.
In 2017, a circus in Hunan tied an endangered Siberian tiger to a table and visitors sat on it while taking photos.
Netizens then were similarly angered by the cruel act, which was filmed and posted on Chinese video platform iQiyi.
In China, sitting on a tiger is normally associated with wealth, as the God of Wealth is often depicted sitting on the animal.
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