Tiger fishing gets into hot water

After Yunnan Safari Zoo's tourist-animal interaction program "fishing tiger" was exposed on social networking sites, inviting widespread criticism, the zoo authorities on Tuesday said they were suspending the program till further investigation.

The program was so called because it allowed tourists standing on a high platform to feed the tigers with meat hanging at the end of a long pole.

The zoo authorities claimed the purpose was to enhance tourists' understanding about wild animals. But critics said such a program is inappropriate for both the animals and humans. Creating a good environment for wild animals and returning them to their habitat would have been a better way, they said, than feeding tigers like they were fish. Also, the zoo was only feeding people's curiosity.

Although the zoo authorities said the meat served to the tigers were hung from ropes and not a metal hook, it could still disturb their normal behavior and give tourists, especially the children, the wrong impression about how humans should treat wild animals.

Besides, the platform the tourists stand on is just 3 meters higher than the tiger enclave, and the railing in front of the tourists not more than the height of an adult. Some adults lean against it when lifting their little ones to help them feed the tigers. A tragedy could be waiting to happen should a tiger drag a tourist away. Popularizing wild life? Really?

Although China has made several laws and regulations to protect wild life, there is still room for improvement. Zoos are centers for protecting, researching on and breeding and promoting wild life. Any tourist-animal interaction program should abide by these principles, otherwise it will fail in its goal of ensuring harmonious coexistence between the two.