Visits to the zoo are always memorable. Not just the kids but even adults have a good time feeding bananas to the monkeys while one of them plots how to steal your glasses, or watching a crocodile do nothing in particular while we wait for it to move even an inch.
But the best sight of them all is that of a tiger or a lion. Even if they are behind a cage, they always look surprisingly able to break the cage and pounce on us…
Adding to that, what would you do if you were asked to play tug-of-war with a lion?
A zoo in England has introduced tug-of-war contests for visitors with lions as an “enrichment activity”.
Dartmoor Zoo in Devon is charging visitors £15 (1,300 INR approx) to pull a rope attached to a piece of meat from the mouth of a lion.
The zoo claimed it is “essential” to mimic conditions in the wild.
Before the tug-of-war begins, a piece of meat is attached to a rope and dragged through the enclosure, where the cat chases and bites it.
From the other side of the enclosure, visitors pull on the rope, attempting to pull the meat out of the lion’s mouth.
The activity has left many animal rights activists concerned.
According to sources, an online petition has been raised by one Sue Dally who called the competition cruel, adding that it showed “a total lack of respect for these beautiful majestic wild animals”.
“The zoo claims it’s to give the animals intellectual exercise and fun, but it comes across as putting profits before the animal’s welfare. There are plenty of ways that experienced professionals can care for the rare animals, without turning them into a novelty plaything for tourists”, she said.
Her petition has received more than 2,000 signatures in six days.
One participant expressed his delight after playing a round of tug-of-war with the lion along with his wife. He said it was an “absolutely amazing” experience, and joked about losing the game.
Absolutely amazing experience yesterday at @DartmoorZoo with my wife! Tug of war with a 🦁 and yeh we lost 🙈 lol!#DartmoorZoo #Lion #TugOfWar pic.twitter.com/pkwqgxlSmL
— Jay Leake (@jasonleake) February 17, 2019
For all of us who are smart, we know that you wouldn’t want to mess with the king of the jungle!