In China, throwing coins at certain targets like a temple bell, a statue, or into a well is considered good luck. However, this superstition is implemented in bizarre and often harmful ways. Previously, a Chinese man was sued by an airline after he tossed 2 coins into the plane engine wishing for good luck!
And now, pictures of a tortoise in Nanning Zoo, Guangxi, glued with a basket on its shell to attract tourists into throwing coins inside it has gone viral, sparking outrage.
According to a report by Mail Online, the pictures first appeared on Weibo, a Chinese social media site. The pictures were taken on a National holiday when families across the country take their children to the zoo. It is a good day for zoos to make lots of money than usual.
According to The Sun, the basket was glued to an African-spurred tortoise. The basket also had a mini Chinese flag stuck on it. The poor animal has been kept inside an enclosed tiled pool.
This particular species of tortoise has been categorised as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
When the pictures sparked outrage on social media, one Nanning zoo worker angrily reacted to the backlash saying, “We had an orangutan that died and no one cared. Now everyone is condemning us for sticking a basket on a tortoise’s shell!”
A Peta official told sources, “Tortoises belong in the wild, they are not a tool for people to make money. As with other animals in zoos in China, UK, US and elsewhere, they are denied everything that’s natural and important to them, and every aspect of their lives is manipulated and controlled.”
The Nanning zoo is claiming to look into the matter. However, no decision has been taken as yet.
We hope the public outcry will move the zoo officials to protect its animals and treat them with care.