Zoo staff put gloves on a tiger cub’s feet and a muzzle so that it can be safely photographed with zoo visitors.
The shocking garments that the tiger cubs wore were meant to stop it from scratching or biting visitors it was expected to sit alongside and be photographed with at Yibin Wildlife Park in Sichuan Province, Southwest China.
Visitors were offered the chance to hold the cub for a photograph and staff confirmed that it was a regular attraction that the visitors enjoyed.
They rejected the suggestion that it was bad for the cub and said that it was just a standard safety measure for zoo visitors.
After the tiger cub had been appropriately dressed, it was then handed over to a girl for a photograph to be taken. The cub seemed unimpressed and was attempting to roar although being completely ignored.
The staff reportedly charge CNY 50 (GBP 5.4) for a photo and visitors can have a choice of either a lion cub or a tiger cub.
However online commentators said that they were going to file a complaint with animal protection organisations about this activity.
When local media reported that the state forestry administration had banned close contact between wild animals and humans, in order to preserve their lifestyles as much as possible, a zoo spokesman said: “This is a bit exaggerated. It’s all for everyone’s safety.
“Why not think about it differently by looking at the advantages it brings?”
Staff from the Yibin Forestry Bureau said they had previously learned about the phenomenon of taking photos with tiger cubs in the Yibin Zoo.
The forestry department issued a special rectification notice, requiring tourists to stop taking photos with cubs.
Regarding the recent incident in the zoo, they will immediately investigate and deal with it.
Online commentators like ‘Ganjialamu 0Hf’ said: “Close this zoo and don’t allow them to abuse small animals.”
And user ‘Thousands Of Miles Away’ said: “Is it okay to torture small animals for money? ? How shameless!”
While the user ‘Deep Sea Of Silence’ said: “Are you protecting wild animals? I hope the relevant departments will stop this kind of behaviour.”
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