Prevent Animal Abuse in Chinese Zoo
By Billie HassimTarget: Hangzhou Zoo
Goal: Prevent animal abuse against zoo animals by strictly supervising all exhibits
Animal cruelty in Chinese zoos is not uncommon. Despite frequent criticism and supposed “crackdowns,” zoos in China are still seeing an alarming amount of animal abuse towards the zoo animals. Recently, a lion and lioness were mercilessly pelted with snowballs at Hangzhou Zoo. Action must be taken to prevent further instances of abuse like this from occurring again.
The snowball attack was initiated by a sole individual but he was later joined by others. This young man started the attack simply because he thought it would be hilarious to pelt the lion and lioness with snowballs. Those who participated in the attack ranged from adults to children. Visitors of the zoo need to remember that animal abuse is an unforgivable act of cruelty, not entertainment, and it is up to zoo management to provide adequate protection for the animals.
The lion and lioness were completely helpless against the attack. Their enclosure made them “sitting ducks” because the individuals were easily able to throw the snowballs down at the lions. It is clear from the pictures of the event that the animals were frightened; they were huddled together and desperately tried to find shelter from their attackers.
While zookeepers claimed that snowballs technically cannot hurt such large animals, this is no excuse for the animals to be treated in such a manner. It does not matter how big an animal is or if they can be “technically” harmed by their attackers; animal abuse is still an act of cruelty no matter how it is done.
Unfortunately, this is not the first instance of animal abuse that has occurred at Hangzhou Zoo. It has been reported that numerous visitors have been caught throwing things at the animals. Visitors have been known to throw whatever they could get their hands on. Some visitors have thrown trash and rocks at the defenseless animals.
Given the number of times this has occurred, the staff of Hangzhou Zoo can no longer ignore this issue. Please sign the petition below to urge the staff of Hangzhou Zoo to strictly supervise their animals so no more instances of animal abuse can occur.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Staff Members of Hangzhou Zoo,
Recently, a lion and lioness suffered from animal abuse at your zoo. These animals were mercilessly pelted with snowballs in their enclosure. They were attacked by visitors of the zoo. During the time of the attack, staff members of the zoo were no where to be found. The defenseless animals were forced to endure the attack in its entirety because no one was able to stop the attackers.
Measures need to be taken in order to better protect the animals of your zoo. Security and supervision of the animals needs to be increased in order to prevent future acts of animal cruelty from occurring. This is not the first instance of animal cruelty to happen in your zoo. Please take the action to supervise your exhibits and visitors to ensure that the animals no longer have to face unnecessary acts of animal abuse at the hands of your visitors.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: China Foto Press/ Barcroft Medi
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21 Comments
Signed.
What is wrong with people??!! What kind of mentality does this??!! Those people who joined in and the ones who watched should all be put away and have their heads examined! Perhaps even do some testing of chemicals on them…like they do when they test on animals!!!!! EVIL BEINGS!!
são uns bando de corvardes.
bandos de corvades
Legitimite zoos are necessary in this day and age of deforestation and animal extinction. A true zoo is areound to promote conservation, education and survival of animal species. The fact that this is hapenning in zoos all over the world, shows that number one, we are not teaching a respect for animals. Number two that zoos need to step up and start enforcing animal protection steps to ensure the safety of their animals. I would never, ever let a person hurt one of my animals and get away with it. This zoo either needs to be shut down, or help responsible for the actions of these visitors. These animals deserve respect not pain and if this zoo cannot provise that for them, then it needs to be stopped
I agree, zoos are needed now for breeding and conservation since these animals are becoming extinct through loss of habitat and poaching. They have to be run well though with concern for the animals – the Chinese are starting to take conservation on board now but don’t forget their history of famine which forced them to eat anything and everything. It takes time to change and we must encourage this. That’s why I sign petitions.
primitives,pathetic,mindless idiots.
Lets try and be Humane!
If we are going to have “zoos” at all—they should be a place to allow people to see and learn about different animals– never to abuse them and not to see them in cages! We need to have sanctuary type places where the animals live in large habitats as similar to nature as possible ( like the state zoo in Ashville, NC) where people can view the animals form a distance in most cases as they would be in the wild. Or they can be in areas where the people can ride through (like the wildlife safari ride at Disney World) and/or there can be areas set up in ways that the people can view the animals without the animals even knowing it like soem kind of one way mirror tunnels throught habitats etc. there could be some interaction with animals that have already been tamed– or are docile in the first place but only if people treattham well— like some petting zoos—or atractions where animals perform—but only if they have been trained without any punitive measures and are provided with the highest quality care. Overall, what we need to do is protect the remaining wild animals and stop destroying the environment before the only place they exsist is in azoo.
These people are just a bunch of sadistic cowards! I’d like to see them get into that lion den and start throwing snowballs. Then it would be a fair fight!
JUST TYPICAL OF CHINA.. IF THEY LET THE YOUNG & MAYBE OLD DO THIS…WHAT HOPE FOR THE ANIMALS WHO ARE TORTURED/SKINNED ALIVE & WORSE… WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS NATION ?? SICK EVIL CRUEL & MORE !!
Can’t even finish the article…………I’m sick to my stomach. What’s wrong with the Chinese?
I would have SNAPPED..Not that I want it to, but why dont things like this happen in front of me? A huge can of whoopass would have been opened, the news would have been called and it would have become an international incident..Zoos shouldnt be in existance..conservation and sanctuaries..period.. China does suck when it comes to animals, but EVERY country is cruel to animals. In the US alone BILLIONS are born to be tortured, mutilated and murdered to feed humans who have to have their flesh. They dont CARE that it was once a loving SMART animal that SUFFERED. The LEAST that can be done is that every animal live the happiest life possible on this planet while they are here. PEOPLE SUCK.
I have long believed that humans are the most USELESS species on this sad little planet. Without them, life would flourish. There are 3 types of people: the brainless idiots who destroy life; the selfish fools who sit on their butts and ignore the carnage, (“can’t be bothered”); and the minority who are waking up to the need to throw both both those classes of jerks OFF THE PLANET! Let’s do it !!!
I’m sooo with YOU on this one Dr. Sol Myers I DETEST animal abuser’s, WISHING they could all be wiped right off the face of the earth!!! With the topic of friends, & family member’s who are so totally AWARE that such atrocities take place on a daily basis…but instead of doing…they choose to turn away…turn a blind eye…a deaf ear…simply because they can’t deal with the truth:-( OR…because it’s too painful to get past…so instead of putting the animals who are in URGENT need first…they’re putting their own peace of mind ahead of:-( I’m fully aware that some are more faint of heart than other’s…but none of us enjoy hearing/learning stories of such BRUTAL CRUELTY:-( I’ve always explained that we have a choice of reading, or watching video’s in regards to animal cruelty, & signing whatever petitions available. OR…the choice is ours…to ONLY sign the petition if we wish…BUT…PLEASE don’t just simply IGNORE, by doing NOTHING:-( My New Year’s Wish if for more of us to take a stand in regards to Animal Rights!!!
Appalling mentality!!! Unfortunately for precious animals obscene CRUELTY in China is far from uncommon…as it PAINFULLY also is the world over. It’s a no-brainer that it’s completely CRUEL to have lions in such a cold snowy climate in the first place:-( China is at the top of my “barbaric list” in regards having any kind of empathy towards our furry one’s…that is to put it mildly!!! I forced myself to watch some of the video’s, & a TV program that aired the truth about so called fur farmer’s in China:-( The barbaric SAVAGE’S were skinning dogs alive!!! The poor terrorized dogs were screaming, howling, & cowering for their lives in sheer TERROR!!! Cats were crammed together in cages…completely frozen, traumatized in fear, witnessing how the one’s before them were strangled to death with a wire that was used as a noose:-( Unimaginable sickening horror…as if it weren’t deplorable enough to kill them…but to put them through the agony of forcing them to see what was next for them!!! I was soooo shaken to the very core of my being, devastated, & crying uncontrollably for those poor, poor babies!!! I wished more than anything that I could’ve had a hand in saving them, & destroying those poor excuses of human beings. I truly wish we could all belong to a civilized world…instead of a CANCEROUS one!!!
PLEASE Urge Canada to Stop the BARBARIC Seal Slaughter in my country!!! Thank you…
https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?page=OnScreenThanks&id=4119
Zoos are not supposed to be a place for sick fun!!!
I’d love to catch the people that do this so we can put them in an enclosure and throw snowballs and other things at them and see how they like it!
it is so shamefull,for the less goodwilling chineeze people,who are good volontunteers,but it is true,the
most of the men in the street,doesnt care about animals,and at least animals in zoo.
but i tell you,not all chineze are cruel bad,or eat dog.or cat.
smugling from chineze cats and dogs,happens,by vietnam
smuglers.
many chineze love their pets.it is true.
and some hate them,that is true too.
but this zoo,must be closed.
What is good about China?
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