China
15:06, 01-May-2018
Peacocks injured after visitors rip out their feathers at a zoo in China
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Four peacocks were injured by visitors at Liwan Zoo in Yangzhou, eastern China’s Jiangsu Province when their feathers were recklessly pulled out.
Pictures circulating on Chinese social media show that all the birds' long tail feathers were pulled out. Traces of blood can still be seen from the incident at the zoo, reported Beijing Youth News.
Staff at the zoo said if they catch tourists harming the animals again, they will call the local police and consider banning them from visiting the park in the future.
Two more staff members were put on patrol around some enclosures within the zoo during opening hours.
Most of the time, the park allows tourists to approach, feed and take photographs of the bird.
However, it is not the first time that peacocks in some zoos suffered from “violent behavior” in China.
Peacocks in a zoo in central Yunnan Province, southwest China, died from shock after a visitor picked them up and plucked their feathers in February 2016. The pictures and reports which circulated on social media were criticized by Chinese netizens as “utterly uncivilized behavior.”
Pictures of visitors mistreating peacocks at a zoo circulated widely within China's social media. /Photo via Weibo
Pictures of visitors mistreating peacocks at a zoo circulated widely within China's social media. /Photo via Weibo
Many others also asked the parks to take action.
“Why are these tourists allowed to hold the peacocks for photos without permission?” Boliyezi commented, on the Twitter-like social media platform in China, “People have to pay to take intimate pictures with the animals.”
“China must set up a database to prevent such low-quality visitors from entering tourist attractions,” Boliguowang said.
Visitors used to be allowed to walk and take a tram through exhibits in the Liwan Zoo to intimately connect with the animals, especially the peacocks. After similar incidents occurred, the zoo stopped allowing visitors access to the peacocks. They also created a pre-recorded audio message reminding the visitors to not disturb the birds.
The family then was criticized by netizens in China. /Photo via Weibo.
The family then was criticized by netizens in China. /Photo via Weibo.
Liwan Zoo also stated it would confiscate any feathers found on visitors.