China restaurant offering tea and lion cub hugs criticized by animal groups
HONG KONG - A restaurant in the northern Chinese province of Shanxi offering hugs with lion cubs while diners have a four-course tea has been criticized by animal welfare groups and drawn condemnation online, however the restaurant says the cubs are well cared for.
Some customers of Wanhui restaurant in Taiyuan city have posted pictures and video clips of themselves cradling lion cubs on China's WeChat and Weibo platforms.
Wanhui, which opened in June, sells about 20 tickets a day to customers looking to snuggle with the animals as part of a set menu costing 1,078 yuan (US$150).
The restaurant told Reuters that it did have lion cubs at the restaurant and that they were taken care of very well, with specialized carers to tend to them.
While some zoos around the world, such as in Singapore or Australia, offer dining experiences near animal enclosures or views of the wildlife, it is rare for a restaurant to have direct physical interaction with wild animals.
Besides the cubs, the restaurant also features llamas, turtles and deer on its page on Douyin, China's counterpart to social media app TikTok.
Online comments were mostly critical, saying the Chinese restaurant venture was dangerous and not good for the animals.
'This is for the rich to play,' said one Weibo user.
Another user urged action by the authorities, adding, 'The relevant departments should take care of it.'
'Tearing lion cubs from their mothers so diners can handle them over afternoon tea is exploitation, not entertainment. These animals are living, feeling beings, not toys,' People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Senior Vice President Jason Baker told Reuters.
He added that the animals were 'treated like nothing more than social media props.'
Peter Li, China policy expert for Humane World for Animals, said: 'Exploiting wild animals for selfies and marketing gimmicks is not only appallingly bad animal welfare, it's also potentially risky for customers.'
'Even a young lion is capable of lashing out and injuring a human. So, treating wild animals like props is both morally unacceptable and dangerously irresponsible.'
Last month, Chinese authorities investigated a hotel for offering a 'wake-up service' with red pandas, state media said.
The hotel in the southwestern region of Chongqing allowed the animals to climb onto beds to awaken guests.
Reporting by Farah Master in Hong Kong and the Beijing newsroom; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Alexandra Hudson, Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Small plane carrying 3 people crashes off California coast, search underway
PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (AP) — Authorities are searching for three people who were aboard a private twin-engine plane that crashed off the central California coast. Emergency officials responded Saturday night after receiving a lost radar alert and 911 calls from residents, KSBW-TV reported. Witnesses reported hearing an aircraft engine revving and a splash in the water near the coast of Pacific Grove, the station reported. The small plane, a Beech 95-B55 Baron, took off from the San Carlos airport at 10:11 p.m. local time and was last seen at 10:37 p.m. near Monterrey, according to flight tracking data from Several agencies responded to the crash and search effort, including the U.S. Coast Guard and California's Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection. People on shore reported seeing debris wash up from the crashed aircraft. Coast Guard officials estimated the plane crashed about 200 to 300 yards (183 to 274 meters) off shore, the news station reported. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate.
Winnipeg Free Press
8 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Passengers flee smoking jet on emergency slide after apparent landing gear problem at Denver airport
DENVER (AP) — Passengers slid down an emergency slide of a smoking jet at Denver's airport due to a possible problem with the plane's landing gear, authorities said. American Airlines Flight 3023 reported a 'possible landing gear incident' during its departure from Denver International Airport on Saturday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was on its way to Miami International Airport. Video aired by local media showed people sliding down the inflatable chute near the front of the plane while clutching luggage and small children. Some of the passengers, including at least one adult carrying a young child, tripped at the end of the slide and fell onto the concrete runway tarmac. The passengers were then taken to the terminal by bus. One of the passengers was transported to a medical facility, authorities said. Five people were evaluated for injuries at the scene but did not require hospitalization, Denver International Airport officials said in a statement. 'About halfway to takeoff speed, we hear a big bang and a pop,' passenger Shaun Williams told KUSA-TV. 'The pilot immediately started abort procedures for taking off. You could feel him start to hit the brakes.' Firefighters called to the airport extinguished a fire after responding to the aircraft, the Denver Fire Department said. In a statement, the FAA said it will investigate.
Toronto Star
16 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Israeli military to pause fighting in 3 Gaza areas as concerns over hunger surge
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli military said Sunday it would pause fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day and open secure routes for aid delivery to desperate Palestinians, launching a series of steps meant to address a surge in hunger in the territory as Israel faces a wave of international criticism over its conduct in the 21-month war. The military said it would begin a 'tactical pause' in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three areas of the territory with large populations, to 'increase the scale of humanitarian aid' entering the territory. The pause would begin every day at 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time until further notice, beginning Sunday.
