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RSS Feed Around the World07. 02. 12. - 19:15
Cruel Zoo Under Fire
Zoo officials in China are facing condemnation for staging a fire safety campaign for children - by forcing terrified animals to face up to flames and smoke.
The shocking displays - at the Chongqing Wild Animal Zoo, in south west China - feature Zhenni the baby chimp in garish orange dungarees, who has been drilled to walk towards a spluttering smoke pot billowing clouds of noxious fumes while operating a fire extinguisher.
Another scene features a confused bear named Lala dressed in a basketball vest grappling with a high pressure water hose.
And for a sickening finale, trained sea lions were forced to evacuate the stage through smoke and flames led by their trainer.
The display - supported by local fire brigade officials - has been condemned by animal welfare experts.
"You have to remember that the first thing any animal wants to do when they see smoke and fire is get away fast," explained one animal rights expert.
"So in order to make them face up to these displays the trainers must have subjected these animals to a great deal of force and fear," they added.
But, unashamed, zoo officials now plan to send a DVD of the display to local schools.
"The children responded very well. It was an educational display and the more children who can see it, the better," said a spokesman.
Austrian Times
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displays water fire evacuate supported feature China experts flames pressure hose stage children sickening grappling trained vest finale lions animals
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