bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

BLOODY horse fights, a parade of bears with their nostrils ripped open by metal rings and monkeys forced to dance on tightropes are among 'attractions' at China's first safari park.

  The 'Carnival of One Hundred Animals' is a new daily circus performance at the Shenzhen Safari Park.

 Monkeys, bears, tigers, lions and elephants are forced into acrobatic performances, under the threat of whipping by park staff.

 Animal activists alerted by the Sunday Morning Post were 'disgusted' at the carnival, but marketing staff said it had reversed falling attendances.

 'There is a falling number of patrons, especially those from Hong Kong. We are looking at new ways to boost our business,' said a spokesman.

 'There is no question of cruelty. All animals are under proper care.'  But a visit to the carnival - staged at 3.30 pm daily at the park's animal theatre - showed clear signs of abuse.

 Dancing girls led brightly-clad Malayan bears on leashes attached to rings pierced through their lips. The dancers forced the animals to walk upright, dance, or 'play music' by pulling their leashes.

 Some bears - whose nostrils were not yet ripped - wore rings in their noses.

 As a grand finale, staff pulled three horses - two males and a female, said to be in season - before the grandstand. The two stallions were urged into a violent frenzy, fighting, kicking and biting each other. Excited audience members laughed as the bleeding and injured stallions neighed in pain.

 Deep wounds and scars from flailing hoofs and teeth were plainly visible on the horses, which fight for five minutes each day. A park duty manager said the horses were imported from Guangxi.

 'They did not know how to fight, but we have trainers to train them,' he said.

 'The horse fighting is a popular show. We have received no complaints so far.'  International Fund for Animal Welfare Asia representative Jill Robinson, who saw the carnival last week, said she would file a formal complaint.

 'It was disgusting. The horses were made to fight and bite each other,' Ms Robinson said. 'The audience seemed impressed. People hardly appreciated the cruelty to the animals.'  Ten-year-old Shenzhen pupil Tian Jun said he had enjoyed the action. 'That was a good show. But I like dog fighting more,' he said.

 The park at Xili Lake - about 45 minutes' drive from Lowu checkpoint - is run by the state-owned Shenzhen Tourism (Group) Corporation and is the first safari park in China.



Animals abused at safari park