'Not a toy': China circus facing legal action after tying down tiger for children to take photos

A circus in Guangxi, China, is facing legal action after it tied down a tiger and allowed children to sit on it for photos. 

The cruel act came to light after a video surfaced on Chinese social media on Dec 6, reported the South China Morning Post. 

The clip showed a man lifting a child onto the tiger's back, while another man sat in front of the animal taking pictures. 

The tiger, lying on a metal table, had its hind legs restrained. However, it could still move its front legs and tail. 

Other children were seen in the video eagerly waiting in line for their turn.

Local media reports also claimed that the tiger was not sedated. 

'Not a toy'

The video prompted local authorities to launch an investigation on the circus' practices.

The Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau told Chinese media that the circus had been conducting "unauthorised performances" at Hengli Square in Tiandong county. 

Legal action has since been taken against the circus and they were ordered to cease performances immediately. 

Although the circus is now closed, netizens continued to express their disapproval towards the circus' inhumane actions.

"This tiger must have endured much to submit to such treatment. Circus operators are irresponsible, exploiting the animal to satisfy human curiosity," a netizen commented.

Another remarked: "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!"

Selfie with a tiger? 

Other tigers were also subjected to inhumane treatment over the years.

A similar incident occurred in 2017 at a circus in Hunan, where an endangered tiger was tied down to a table for visitors to sit on while taking photos.

The tiger in the video was said to be a Siberian tiger, which is on the brink of extinction.

A video of the cruel act was posted on Chinese video platform iQiyi, where netizens quickly condemned the trainers.

"You can't earn much from this, and instead you've brought so much pain to the animal, do you think it's worth it?" said one netizen.

It is believed that the act of sitting on a tiger is commonly associated with the God of Wealth in China, who is often pictured sitting on the animal.

ALSO READ: Exhausted tiger attacks trainer during circus performance in China

ashwini.balan@asiaone.com