This is sick! China: Gore draws Chinese to animal parks

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Linda J. Howard

[lindajhoward]

Monday, February 28, 2005 8:05 PM

 

China: Gore draws Chinese to animal parks

 

 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/213773_pac28.html

 

Monday, February 28, 2005

 

Pacific Currents: Gore draws Chinese to animal

parks

 

By JULIE CHAO

COX NEWS SERVICE

 

HARBIN, China -- Cameras and videos are ready.

Kids' noses are pressed to

the windows. Chinese tourists packed into a

minibus are on the lookout for

Siberian tigers, one of the most endangered

species in the world.

 

While some of these visitors may be animal lovers,

they have not paid $7

apiece merely to drive around and admire the huge

felines lounging about in

their snowy compounds.

 

They are here to see some action. But first, they

must pay.

 

" You can buy a domesticated chicken for 40

yuan ($4.80) or for 100 yuan

($12.10) you can buy a wild one, which

flies, " the driver announces. " The

effect is much different; it's exceptionally

thrilling. "

 

In their hourlong tour of this park, tourists will

watch ravenous tigers

chasing down live chickens, sheep and cows.

Feathers will be plucked and

limbs torn by the 300-pound cats while the

tourists gasp, scream, cheer and

recoil at the carnage.

 

Wild animals for human entertainment have become

big business in China. In

just a decade, almost 30 " wild animal

parks, " with tens of thousands of

tigers, lions, monkeys, deer and other animals,

have opened.

 

The first opened in the southern city of Shenzhen 12 years ago. When it

became a huge success, it spawned others. Many of

the investors -- some of

them local governments, some of them private

companies -- knew and cared

little about animals.

 

Like many new industries in China, this one grew

quickly without government

oversight. Several people have been mauled to

death at parks. Because China

has no laws on animal welfare or independent

animal rights groups, living

conditions and treatment of the animals vary

widely.

 

One park put a turtle in a glass box and allowed

people to throw coins at it

so they could try to hit its shell. At another, a

tiger's head was chained

down so that children could climb on its back for

photos.

 

A few parks even allow visitors to pay extra to

watch a live horse get

devoured by lions and tigers.

 

But in a sign of the nascent civil society and

emerging activist spirit

here, a group of college students took it upon

themselves to investigate the

industry last year. They visited 21 wild animal

parks and issued their

scathing report in December.

 

" Their sole goal is profit, " said Athena

Liu, a 23-year-old graduate student

at Beijing Normal University and one of the

authors. " The parks will do

anything to attract visitors. If the visitors want

it, they'll do it.

 

" Sometimes they starve the lions and tigers

to make them perform better, "

she said.

 

The students also found evidence that animals were

imported illegally and

bred unscientifically. One park veterinarian told

them the death rate is

quite high, and that of all his tasks, what he

does the most is conduct

necropsies.

 

Harbin's Siberian Tiger Park is one of the few

wild animal parks that is not

purely commercial. It also receives some

government support for breeding

programs. There are believed to be only a dozen or

so Siberian tigers in the

wild in China, with 300 in Russia.

Wang Ligang said the park has barely

enough money to feed its

nearly 500 tigers. Much as he loathes the idea of

the feeding performances,

it's an economic necessity.

 

After the driver announces the chicken prices, 100

yuan notes are passed up

to the front of the bus.

 

A white jeep drives up and a wild chicken is

quickly tossed out. With an

easy swipe of a paw, a tiger quickly captures it,

and then again with a

second chicken.

 

The tourists start griping. They were promised a

chase, and they call for

another flying chicken. The driver talks into his

radio. Another bird is

released.

 

This time it stands on the roof of the jeep for

several minutes while the

tigers circle. Suspense builds. Cameras are

readied. Suddenly the bird takes

off, flying straight into the bus window. The

tigers give chase. Everyone

screams. Since the bird can't fly very high, a

tiger catches it within

seconds.

 

Chinese tourists say the park is good for tiger

conservation.

 

" The tigers have to eat. The only difference

is whether you see it or not, "

said Lu Yingwu, who was visiting from Shenzhen

with his wife and 7-year-old

son.

 

 

 

 

 

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