- Footage shows the 'drugged' lion lying lethargically on a safari park bench
- Keepers drag the lion's head round to face the cameras for tourists' photos
- Indonesian Taman Safari Park claims the lion is just sleeping after its lunch
- Clip, uploaded to Facebook on April 2, already viewed over 1.5million times
By: IMOGEN CALDERWOOD FOR MAILONLINE
A video of a lion that has allegedly been drugged so tourists can use it as a prop for 'holiday snaps' at an Indonesian safari park has provoked outrage.
A video of a lion that has allegedly been drugged so tourists can use it as a prop for 'holiday snaps' at an Indonesian safari park has provoked outrage.
Animal welfare campaigners have accused the
park of exploiting the animal, which can be seen lying lethargically on a bench
as tourists crowd around it for snapshots.
Footage shows zookeepers at the Taman Safari
Park, in Bogor, West Java, waking the animal and dragging its lolling head
round to face the cameras for holidaymakers paying the equivalent of £1 for the
experience.
Scroll down for video
Drugged': Animal welfare campaigners have
slammed the Indonesian Taman Safari Park for allegedly drugging a lion to be
used as a prop for holidaymakers' photographs
Control: Footage of the lion shows a
zookeeper lifting up its head and dragging it round to face the cameras
Animal welfare NGO Scorpion Wildlife Trade
Monitoring Group uploaded the video, which has already been viewed more than
1.5million times, to Facebook on April 2.
‘Scorpion calls on Taman Safari to stop this
and other exploitation of wild animals. Zoos are not supposed to entertain
visitors,' said the organisation's senior investigator Marison Guciano.
‘They should be about conservation and
education, I’m sure we all agree – don’t we?’
The Taman Safari Park, however, insists that
the lion was merely sleeping 'after her lunch and vitamins', and that lions
need a great deal of sleep in the wild.
Before the video came to light, the Taman
Safari Park had a reputation for being a well-run animal conservation facility,
and has won several national tourism and conservation awards.
It is also a full member of global governing
body the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) - which offers animal
care guidance and support to organisations around the world.
WAZA told MailOnline that they are
investigating the allegations made against the Indonesian safari park, but
could not reveal details.
Posing: Visitors, who are paying just over £1
for the experience, are invited to sit next to the listless lion - which Taman
Safari Park insists is only sleeping after its lunch
Welfare: The Taman Safari Park is a member of
the global animal welfare association, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(WAZA), which has confirmed that it is investigating the allegations
But leading lion scientist and head of the
UK-based charity LionAid, Dr Pieter Kat, said: 'The trade of live animals... is
supposedly well-controlled.
'After all, any live animal in trade cannot
be destined anywhere but a WAZA registered organisation.
'That all sounds well and good, but who
monitors these WAZA zoos? WAZA membership is determined by a payment of fees.
'There is no independent inspection of WAZA
zoo members to determine compliance with ethics of animal care.'
However, on its website the association
claims to have a strict code of ethics to protect the welfare of animals living
in the member organisations.
Meanwhile, the Taman Safari Bogor park
insisted that it would be 'unthinkable' to drug one of its animals.
‘With our reputation and standing among
wildlife institutions, it seems unthinkable that we would sedate a lion for
visitors’ interaction, and risk tarnishing our image,' the park told
MailOnline.
‘The allegation that has been directed at
Taman Safari Indonesia is a serious one, and completely baseless.
‘
We wish to state that TSI has never sedated
an animal for interaction sessions with guests or to make them appear “tame” in
their habitats in the park.'
Uproar: The footage, which was uploaded to
Facebook on April 2, has already been viewed more than 1.5million times - and
has attracted a great deal of criticism
Attraction: The Taman Safari Park, in Bogor,
West Java, is home to some 2,500 animals - and has won several national awards
for national tourism and conservation
When asked whether a lion that is merely
sleeping would pose a threat to visitors, the park replied: 'The lion used for
the interaction is a cub that was born in March last year.
'It was handraised, as its mother could not
nurse and care for it properly. A handraised cub this age is tractable by
keepers it is familiar with, and there is minimal cause for concern.'
But Dr Kat added: 'In my opinion, this is a
clearly drugged lion. You simply cannot manipulate a wild animal in this
manner.'
Executive director of WAZA, Dr Gerald Dick,
told MailOnline: 'WAZA has regional associations as members and they are
responsible for their regional standards and their implementation.
'It provides strategic guidance on achieving
positive animal welfare and conservation. We work with zoo professionals and
welfare organisations to address matters of concern.
'This includes matters raised through
complaints, complying with our internal complaint processes.
'Our code of ethics is a set of basic
principles to help WAZA members conduct their actions in accordance with our
community’s values.
'We are presently conducting an investigation
into the matter, and once we receive more information we will release a full
statement on the matter.'
Scorpion has sought assurance from the
Indonesian Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) that the lion wasn't
drugged, but the agency is yet to respond.
The safari park is home to some 2,500 animals
from around the world - including Bengal tigers, giraffes, lions and elephants.
It also offers visitors the chance to
interact directly with some of the animals, including feeding and petting them;
bus safaris around the park; canoeing; circus performances and traditional
arts.
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