A restaurant in Shanxi province in northern China offers hugs with lion young as customers enjoy their meal. It is being criticized by animal defense groups and conviction on social networks, but ensures that the pups are well treated.
In recent weeks, some customers of the Wanhui restaurant in the city of Taiyuan have published photographs and on the Chinese social networks Wechat and Weibo, in which they appear lion.
Wanhui, which opened in June, sells about 20 tickets per day to customers who want to snuggle with the animals. The “dish” is part of a fixed menu with the price of 1,078 yuan (about 130 euros).
The restaurant has confirmed what has, in fact, lion on site, and that they are very well cared for, with specialized keepers responsible for your well-being.
Although some zoological gardens in the world, such as Singapore or Australia, offer gastronomic experiences with enclosures with animals or overlooking wildlife, It is rare for a restaurant to allow physical interaction direct with wild animals.
In addition to the lion’s offspring, the restaurant also shows Lamas, Turtles and deer On your Douyin page, the Chinese version of the Tiktok social networking application.
On social networks, most users criticize the unusual initiative of the Chinese restaurant, which consider it to be dangerous and harmful to animals. “It’s a Fun for the rich”Wrote one weibo user. Another calls from the authorities:” The competent departments should intervene. “
More than comments on social networks, the Wanhui special menu has been the target of criticism from animal rights organizations.
“Drawing lion pups to their mothers so customers can handle them during afternoon tea It is exploitation, not entertainment. These animals are living and sensitive beings, not toys, ”he told Reuters Jason Bakervice president of the NGO people for the ethical treatment of animals ,. “Animals are being treated as nothing more than props for social networks”.
Peter Li, China policy expert at Humane World for Animals, says in turn that “exploring wild animals for selfies and marketing maneuvers is not just a shocking attack on animal welfareis also potentially risky for customers”.
“Same A young lion is able to revolt and hurt a human being. Treating wild animals as props is morally unacceptable and dangerously irresponsible, ”adds Li.
In June, the Chinese authorities investigated the Lehe Ledu Liangjiang hotel in Chongqing, which offered a “Awakening Service” with Red Pandasa species protected in China and which is on the list of species at risk of.
According to the hotel allowed the animals to rise to the guests’ beds to wake them up. Customers usually have a few minutes to interact with red panda, depending on their mood, with a present caregiver for safety reasons.
Although red pandas are known to be docile and relatively meek, they are also shy and They can scare When handled. It is crucial to maintain a safe distance between animals and humans.
In February, he recalls SCMP, a guest from another Hotel with a wild -themed theme in the province of Jiangsu, north of Shanghai, reported that her husband was Bite in the belly a red panda while playing with him.
Having wild animals awakening hotel guests or embracing dessert looks like a Genial Marketing Idea – Until the day a unlucky client becomes dessert of a little lion more hungry.
