https://www.scmp.com/rss/326911/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ying Xia Ying Xia Public awareness of animal welfare on the Chinese mainland is at an all-time high. The country now has the world’s second-largest pet population, estimated at 430 million in 2024 and growing strongly. The cultural shift was on full display last year when the justice ministry solicited public feedback on its legislative plans. In a massive show of support, an online survey pushing for anti-cruelty legislation attracted over 4.2 million votes, with 96 per cent voting in favour. Yet despite rising... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344884/quiet-revolution-animal-rights-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3344884/quiet-revolution-animal-rights-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A five-star hotel in China has sparked controversy by using a red panda for morning calls, prompting an investigation and suspension of the service by authorities. The establishment, Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Hotel, located in southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, raised public concerns after several guests shared videos of their morning calls delivered by an adorable red panda. In the footage, the animal climbs onto beds and desks in hotel rooms, where guests are invited to pet and feed... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3315504/china-hotel-uses-red-panda-morning-calls-triggers-safety-concerns-service-suspension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3315504/china-hotel-uses-red-panda-morning-calls-triggers-safety-concerns-service-suspension?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 06:00:08 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A group of tourists who pulled out the hair of a tiger at a zoo in China, thinking it would ward off evil spirits, have sparked outrage online. On June 8, a viral video showed several visitors at a zoo in Liaoning province, northeastern China, pulling hair from the big cat’s belly and tail through a metal fence. The incident took place in a special zone where tigers often rest on top of a steel viewing tunnel. In the video, one of the tourists, a woman, is heard saying: “Let’s pull more! Tiger... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3313841/china-zoo-visitors-slammed-lucky-tiger-hair-pulling-warned-against-provoking-beast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3313841/china-zoo-visitors-slammed-lucky-tiger-hair-pulling-warned-against-provoking-beast?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jun 2025 01:00:14 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang The discovery of a stray puppy in China with two arrows in its head, one of them pierced straight through, has sparked public outrage and a heated debate on social media over animal protection and the use of police resources. The May 11 incident unfolded when a man, surnamed Ai, and his girlfriend found an injured stray dog near a vegetable shop in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, southern China. One arrow had pierced right through the puppy’s head, while another was embedded in the back of its... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3311091/china-stray-puppy-2-arrows-head-leads-crowdfunding-surgery-police-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3311091/china-stray-puppy-2-arrows-head-leads-crowdfunding-surgery-police-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 May 2025 06:00:08 +0000 Sammy Heung Sammy Heung Hong Kong police have launched an investigation into a suspected poisoning of two dogs belonging to a former beauty queen. Miss Hong Kong 2020 winner Lisa-Marie Tse Ga-ye lamented the death of her two dogs on her social media page, saying she wrote the update with “the heaviest of heartbroken hearts”. Tse said she had taken her three dogs for a walk on Sunday in She Shan village in Lam Tsuen, where a “very disgusting, horrible and unforgivable person” had left “meat feast laced with poison” on a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3291073/hong-kong-police-investigating-after-dogs-owned-ex-beauty-queen-poisoned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3291073/hong-kong-police-investigating-after-dogs-owned-ex-beauty-queen-poisoned?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:59:53 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu The compassionate response to rescue a puppy that was abused at a Buddhist site in northern China has touched millions of people on mainland social media. Public outrage was sparked after a worshipper posted a video showing a man kicking a puppy multiple times and causing it to roll down the stairs at Mount Wutai. Mount Wutai is a nationally renowned sacred site for Buddhist Manjusri worship in Shanxi province, attracting millions of visitors every year. This Unesco World Heritage site features... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3287338/puppy-abused-china-sacred-site-sparks-outrage-leads-speedy-adoption-5-million-views?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3287338/puppy-abused-china-sacred-site-sparks-outrage-leads-speedy-adoption-5-million-views?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Nov 2024 01:00:10 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A sick dog in China kept her owner company beside her grave for two years after she died then met a Good Samaritan that cured her disease and took care of her. Chinese influencer and owner of a stray dog relief centre in eastern China’s Jiangxi province, @ganpojiege, posted a video of the loyal dog on November 5, attracting 85,000 likes and thousands of comments. He received help from villagers in the province and discovered the dog next to her owner’s grave, with serious skin disease and a... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3286975/sick-china-dog-spends-2-years-beside-owners-grave-rescued-man-becomes-loyal-baby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3286975/sick-china-dog-spends-2-years-beside-owners-grave-rescued-man-becomes-loyal-baby?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Nov 2024 02:10:39 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu An aquarium in southern China has come under scrutiny for showcasing a robotic whale shark instead of a live one, igniting passionate debates around animal welfare and consumer rights. Videos circulating online depict a life-size robotic whale shark gliding through the waters of Xiaomeisha Sea World in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, following its reopening in October. The robotic exhibit elicited mixed reactions from visitors. Some were captivated by its innovative design, while others felt... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3286578/china-aquariums-opt-robotic-whales-cut-costs-leaving-visitors-feel-deceived?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3286578/china-aquariums-opt-robotic-whales-cut-costs-leaving-visitors-feel-deceived?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Nov 2024 01:00:08 +0000 Wild boars are a growing menace to China’s cities, where the animals have attacked people and wreaked havoc on property, prompting authorities to deploy funds and hunting teams to tackle the problem. Videos on social media and television reports have recorded multiple cases of boars encroaching on urban areas, in some cases charging through enclosed areas or attacking residents. Last Saturday, in an incident captured on video, a woman in the southeastern city of Chuzhou suffered minor injuries... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3285841/chinas-cities-rampaging-boars-growing-menace-wild-pig-population-soars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3285841/chinas-cities-rampaging-boars-growing-menace-wild-pig-population-soars?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Nov 2024 08:01:11 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A woman in China who studied law for 700 days after her pet dog was poisoned to death is hoping her hard work can help send the culprit to jail. The case is the first time pet poisoning has become the subject of criminal proceedings in Beijing. Previously, suspects faced financial sanctions or short detentions as China does not have a dedicated pet protection law. Li Yihan’s pet dog Papi, a white West Highland Terrier, was like family to her. On September 14, 2022, the animal was among a number... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3279782/china-pet-lover-buries-herself-law-books-bid-send-dog-poisoning-culprit-jail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3279782/china-pet-lover-buries-herself-law-books-bid-send-dog-poisoning-culprit-jail?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Sep 2024 06:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A dog owner in Shanghai was ordered by a court to pay 90,000 yuan (US$12,600) in compensation to a pregnant woman who suffered a miscarriage after the pet jumped up at her. The 41-year-old woman became pregnant after undergoing multiple in vitro fertilisation (IVF) surgeries over three years, according to the Shanghai Morning Post. The incident occurred earlier this year while the expectant mother, surnamed Yan, was walking through her residential community to collect a package from the courier... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3278716/china-dog-owner-pays-woman-us12600-after-she-has-miscarriage-because-animal-startled-her?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3278716/china-dog-owner-pays-woman-us12600-after-she-has-miscarriage-because-animal-startled-her?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2024 01:00:09 +0000 Yating Yang Yating Yang An elderly man in eastern China killed an unleashed dog that chased his granddaughter, sparking intense debate on social media. According to an online post on September 4, a young woman walking her dog in a Zhejiang residential area failed to leash it, leading the dog to chase a girl playing with other children nearby. To protect his granddaughter, the unnamed man picked up the dog and slammed it to the ground, resulting in its death. The viral video showed the dog’s owner crying as she crouched... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3278316/china-man-kills-leash-dog-throwing-it-ground-after-chasing-scares-granddaughter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3278316/china-man-kills-leash-dog-throwing-it-ground-after-chasing-scares-granddaughter?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Sep 2024 10:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan Animal lovers in China have been horrified to discover several dead or injured cats that had been shot with steel darts. Volunteers found a stray on August 13 in Qinqin Home, a residential block in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province in the east of the country, that had 10 steel darts embedded in its head, chest, and back, Zhejiang TV reported. They rushed the dying feline to a veterinary clinic, but it lost its battle for life after 90 minutes of emergency treatment. Local residents said the stray cat... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3275128/kitten-killed-10-steel-blow-darts-stray-cats-hurt-horrific-china-animal-abuse-spree?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3275128/kitten-killed-10-steel-blow-darts-stray-cats-hurt-horrific-china-animal-abuse-spree?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2024 06:00:59 +0000 Iris Jiang Iris Jiang Ahead of the sequel to a hit Chinese animated film featuring a beloved stray cat called Luo Xiaohei, the creator has been slammed for abandoning the animal that inspired the feline character. Zhang Ping, 39, an artist known by his pen name MTJJ, rose to fame in the 2010s as one of the country’s most successful cartoonists, thanks to his animated version of the cat. The cartoon kitty, with its huge round eyes and pointed ears, was modelled after a stray black cat Zhang adopted. Starting in 2011,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3269891/china-cartoon-creator-slammed-dumping-adopted-cat-inspired-his-hit-movie-kitty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3269891/china-cartoon-creator-slammed-dumping-adopted-cat-inspired-his-hit-movie-kitty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2024 06:00:10 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A celebrity couple in China who adopted an injured laboratory dog have drawn attention to the plight of animals used for research. On June 23, Chinese actress Huo Siyan posted a video on Xiaohongshu, recounting how she and her actor husband Du Jiang discovered a wounded beagle by the roadside. In the video, the couple are seen rescuing the shivering dog from bushes and then taking it to a vet, where medical checks revealed it had just given birth and was malnourished. Vets found a number on its... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3268814/caring-china-celebrity-couple-praised-ending-lab-ordeal-severely-injured-beagle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3268814/caring-china-celebrity-couple-praised-ending-lab-ordeal-severely-injured-beagle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2024 01:00:13 +0000 A 16-year-old overweight leopard in a zoo in China has gone viral for its striking resemblance to a character called Officer Clawhauser in the Disney animated film Zootopia. Panzhihua Zoo in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, had been trying to help the big cat lose weight, but had recently given up because it was too old. In March, video footage of the leopard dubbed “China’s Officer Clawhauser” circulated online, making the zoo an instant hit. The leopard always strolls leisurely and his... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3263636/china-zoo-halts-weight-loss-plan-famous-overweight-leopard-resembles-animated-disney-character?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3263636/china-zoo-halts-weight-loss-plan-famous-overweight-leopard-resembles-animated-disney-character?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2024 06:00:09 +0000 Two extremely popular so-called panda dogs at a zoo in China are actually chow canines dyed black and white to look like the wild bears. On May 3, a video of the panda-like dogs at Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu province, eastern China, received 1.1 million likes on Douyin. “After entering the zoo, I heard many people asking where the pandas were. Then I followed the crowd, and it wasn’t until I reached the enclosure that I realised they were actually dogs,” one visitor said. Admission to see the dogs... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3261995/panda-dogs-china-zoo-spark-row-pups-are-actually-dyed-canines-practise-triggers-allegations-animal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3261995/panda-dogs-china-zoo-spark-row-pups-are-actually-dyed-canines-practise-triggers-allegations-animal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 May 2024 01:00:10 +0000 Guide dogs are not pets. Their role goes beyond companionship as they offer visually impaired people a way to participate in society more fully. Hong Kong’s equality authority is right to underscore that fact with new guidelines, that unfortunately seem necessary because of shameful treatment of dogs and those who need them. The Equal Opportunities Commission earlier this month released rules to protect the rights of the guide dogs and users. They require that such pairs be treated as regular... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3263223/treat-guide-dogs-and-users-respect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3263223/treat-guide-dogs-and-users-respect?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 May 2024 20:30:23 +0000 People on social media in China have been deeply touched by the story of a cat that clung onto, and bit, his owner’s jumper with his last breath. A university student known as Kaka in eastern China’s Jiangxi province posted a video of her pet’s last moments, which has amassed 1.5 million likes since April 9. She had received a phone call from her mother the day before, saying her cat was seriously ill in her hometown in southern China’s Guangdong province. Kaka immediately bought a high-speed... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3259994/pet-passion-dying-china-cat-clings-owner-last-breath-dog-refuses-leave-funeral-many-moved-tears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3259994/pet-passion-dying-china-cat-clings-owner-last-breath-dog-refuses-leave-funeral-many-moved-tears?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 May 2024 01:00:23 +0000 A educationally gifted man has been rejected by a prestigious mainland university because of his history of extreme cruelty to cats. The man, surnamed Xu, achieved the highest scores in the entrance test to become a nuclear physics major at the School of Physics at Nanjing University in the eastern province of Jiangsu. Admission test results released by the school at the end of March revealed that he had not passed the second test, according to a report in the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3258336/gifted-china-cat-killer-rejected-top-university-despite-getting-top-marks-nuclear-science-entrance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3258336/gifted-china-cat-killer-rejected-top-university-despite-getting-top-marks-nuclear-science-entrance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Apr 2024 06:00:23 +0000 A video posted on Weibo last month – showing a college student in Jiangxi province holding a white kitten, kicking it, beating it with a coat hanger and hitting it against a door, making the cat cry out in pain – has roused public anger in China. After the video was posted, the college announced they had expelled the student after receiving 14 letters accusing him of animal abuse. According to a document read out by a college spokesperson, “The incident spread widely online and affected the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3259151/time-animal-abusers-china-face-proper-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3259151/time-animal-abusers-china-face-proper-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Apr 2024 01:15:15 +0000 When it comes to canine police work, a cute and cuddly short-legged Corgi dog is not the first breed that springs to mind. But a diminutive doggy of that particular breed has just made an impressive crime-fighting debut in China. The six-month-old male called Fuzai has appeared at a police camp open day event in Weifang, Shandong province in the east of the country. For those who questioned whether such a cute-looking dog could effectively overcome obstacles and intimidate suspects, a detailed... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3257019/chinas-first-corgi-police-dog-makes-public-debut-hailed-under-car-bomb-detection-skills-attitude-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3257019/chinas-first-corgi-police-dog-makes-public-debut-hailed-under-car-bomb-detection-skills-attitude-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Apr 2024 01:15:51 +0000 The recent exposure of a pet shop adoption racket has sparked controversy and a backlash on mainland social media. Due to the large cost of buying a pure-breed cat, many feline enthusiasts have been lured into so-called “free cat adoption” schemes. It sounds like the perfect solution, allowing adopters to experience the joy of pet ownership and helping animals find homes, without a large single outlay. However, the schemes are a money-making opportunity for unscrupulous businesspeople who offer... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3255361/free-china-cat-adoption-scams-which-tie-people-long-term-pet-product-spending-plans-under-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3255361/free-china-cat-adoption-scams-which-tie-people-long-term-pet-product-spending-plans-under-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Mar 2024 06:05:10 +0000 A physics teacher in Taiwan who dropped a cat onto the floor during a classroom experiment has faced a barrage of online criticism. A video clip of the “experiment” which was filmed by a student went viral on social media at the beginning of March. It shows the teacher holding the cat upside down with its legs in the air. He then let the cat fall onto the floor of the classroom, the news website setn.com reported. The teacher, Li Feng, was apparently demonstrating a “conservation of angular... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3254624/taiwan-teacher-social-media-doghouse-after-dropping-squealing-cat-floor-class-experiment-promises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3254624/taiwan-teacher-social-media-doghouse-after-dropping-squealing-cat-floor-class-experiment-promises?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Mar 2024 01:00:18 +0000 As many as 5.5 billion wild animals are being exploited and kept in cruel conditions, according to a new report by the non-profit organisation World Animal Protection, with many of the most high-profile animals held for the benefit of the tourism industry. Although some conservationists argue that wildlife farming – wild animals being raised in captivity for commercial gain – can help protect certain species, including those that are endangered, there is a lack of transparency and regulation in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3255069/horrific-toll-wildlife-farming-torture-malnourishment-ptsd-and-disease-both-human-and-animal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3255069/horrific-toll-wildlife-farming-torture-malnourishment-ptsd-and-disease-both-human-and-animal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Mar 2024 08:15:08 +0000 On January 9, South Korea’s National Assembly adopted a special bill outlawing the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for human consumption. The vote was historic. It started a three-year grace period for South Korea’s dog farmers, slaughter operators and dog meat restaurant owners to transition to alternative livelihoods with government compensation and assistance. When the law takes effect in 2027, acts that violate it could result in a jail term of up to three years and a fine of 30 million... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248175/south-koreas-dog-meat-ban-signal-china-follow-suit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3248175/south-koreas-dog-meat-ban-signal-china-follow-suit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jan 2024 01:30:22 +0000 A 15-year-old boy in China has been hailed as “a kitten superhero” after he caught a tiny feline falling from a third-floor balcony in his coat. The boy, surnamed Zeng, from Hubei province in central China, caught the cat on December 24 while he was feeding a stray dog and looked up to see two kittens dangling from a metal sheet overhanging a balcony. Zeng was not quick enough to catch one of the kittens, which sadly died. However, the boy removed his coat and waited in the cold weather for 20... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3246637/loving-china-kitten-superhero-catches-falling-feline-doting-father-sends-meals-adult-daughter-boy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3246637/loving-china-kitten-superhero-catches-falling-feline-doting-father-sends-meals-adult-daughter-boy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jan 2024 06:00:19 +0000 The Swiss will decide whether to ban foie gras and fur imports after campaigners on Thursday handed in enough signatures to trigger a public vote on the twin issues. Outside the Federal Palace parliament buildings in the capital Bern, campaigners from the Swiss Animal Alliance, which launched the move, piled up boxes symbolising the certified signatures. The popular initiative on foie gras collected 106,448 signatures, while the one on fur attracted 116,140 - both above the 100,000 threshold... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3246572/switzerland-hold-public-vote-foie-gras-fur-import-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3246572/switzerland-hold-public-vote-foie-gras-fur-import-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Dec 2023 18:48:29 +0000 Pets having cosmetic surgery to achieve “Mickey ears” so they can look like Disney’s famous cartoon mouse, is an increasingly worrying trend in China. Leading animal experts are demanding the practice be stopped because of the physical pain and psychological distress it inflicts. One advertisement for a pet clinic in the Beibei district of Chongqing in southwestern China, promoting a “Mickey ear” group purchase, has attracted significant attention. It says its special offer of 300 yuan (US$40)... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3246192/mickey-ears-popularity-soars-among-china-pet-owners-despite-concerns-over-painful-risky-cosmetic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3246192/mickey-ears-popularity-soars-among-china-pet-owners-despite-concerns-over-painful-risky-cosmetic?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Dec 2023 01:00:08 +0000 An international team of scientists say they have developed a new method to identify the origin of pangolin scales, adding to the toolkit for cracking down on the poaching and trafficking of the endangered animal, which is prized in China. The researchers found that poaching activity shifted from West to Central Africa from 2012 to 2018 as the Asian pangolin population shrank, with Cameroon’s southern border emerging as a poaching hotspot. The team said the shift could be a response to increased... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3245103/genetic-test-tracks-origins-illegal-pangolin-products-china-adding-conservation-toolkit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3245103/genetic-test-tracks-origins-illegal-pangolin-products-china-adding-conservation-toolkit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Dec 2023 19:00:08 +0000 A circus that allowed children to ride on a tiger’s back for photo opportunities, charging 20 yuan (US$2.8) a picture, has sparked heated discussions among online viewers. The cruel and potentially dangerous activity was highlighted on December 6 in a video posted online showing youngsters being lifted onto the animal at a circus in Tiandong county in southern China’s Guangxi province. In the video, a tiger is seen lying on a metal frame with its hind legs tied down. Despite the restraint, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3244750/not-toy-china-circus-charges-us28-let-children-ride-tiger-photos-faces-legal-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/environment/article/3244750/not-toy-china-circus-charges-us28-let-children-ride-tiger-photos-faces-legal-action?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Dec 2023 10:00:13 +0000 A woman in China who saved a Border Collie dog destined for slaughter after it was bartered away to a meat vendor by its original owner has earned praise on mainland social media. The woman, surnamed Liu, from Inner Mongolia in northern China, first came across the dog at the meat vendor, where she discovered it had been let go by its original owner following a car accident that left it unable to walk. The dog had been exchanged for 20kg of pork and the new owner planned to kill the animal and... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3243386/too-cold-blooded-china-animal-lover-who-saved-border-collie-marked-slaughter-after-original-owner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3243386/too-cold-blooded-china-animal-lover-who-saved-border-collie-marked-slaughter-after-original-owner?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Dec 2023 01:00:09 +0000 Crouching low in the mud, Hongkonger Ivan Li Yat-long did not flinch as the 1.6-metre (5.2 foot) common rat snake coiled around his arm, its grip tightening. “I never get nervous, I love it,” he said, after cutting the reptile free from the net in which it was entangled on a farm in Yuen Long in the New Territories. The 33-year-old seh wong – a Cantonese term for snake catcher which translates as “snake king” – bagged the reptile before driving to a nearby country park and releasing it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3242049/how-hong-kongs-new-breed-snake-kings-are-defanging-cruel-practice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3242049/how-hong-kongs-new-breed-snake-kings-are-defanging-cruel-practice?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Nov 2023 04:00:15 +0000 Last week, when I learned that one of my family’s pet dogs was dying from a long-time tumour, which was too close to a blood vessel to be removed, I left an important meeting in Shanghai and rushed back home to Beijing, hoping to do something to prolong his life or ease his pain. But he died an hour before I could get there. Losing our pet of 13 years, all my family cried. I belong to a rapidly growing population of pet lovers in China. Indeed, raising a pet dog has become a way of life in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239832/how-grow-chinas-soft-power-love-dogs-dont-eat-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239832/how-grow-chinas-soft-power-love-dogs-dont-eat-them?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Nov 2023 01:30:18 +0000 Several Chinese cities started trapping stray dogs and advertising “civilised” pet ownership last week, after a two-year-old had to be hospitalised following a savage mauling by an off-leash Rottweiler. The drive has sparked online rumours of an alleged round of dog culling, with most social media users condemning the move. The attack on the child was captured in security camera footage that went viral early last week. The clip shows the girl being set upon by the large black Rottweiler as she... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3238756/chinese-cities-hunt-strays-after-2-year-old-mauled-leash-rottweiler?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3238756/chinese-cities-hunt-strays-after-2-year-old-mauled-leash-rottweiler?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Oct 2023 10:00:14 +0000 Most Hong Kong residents polled in a survey have backed a ban on the trade in some exotic species and tighter regulations governing the sale of other animals. About 80 per cent of those asked said there should be a blanket ban on the importation of exotic pets such as yellow-crested cockatoos, green iguanas, hognose snakes and alligator snapping turtles. The news came as two conservation groups on Wednesday questioned what had happened to the millions of threatened species imported into the city... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3233646/most-hongkongers-back-tighter-rules-trade-exotic-animals-survey-conservation-groups-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3233646/most-hongkongers-back-tighter-rules-trade-exotic-animals-survey-conservation-groups-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Sep 2023 13:52:40 +0000 A video of a dog in China being beaten by the boyfriend of its owner has gone viral on social media, sparking outrage in a country where pets lack legal protections from abuse. A surveillance camera recorded an unidentified man from central China’s Henan province violently attacking his girlfriend’s corgi on July 15, according to Star Video. In the viral video, the man is seen squatting down with his right leg stretched towards the corgi as it hides under a wash basin. He kicks the dog more than... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3228246/today-its-dog-china-pet-abuser-dumped-after-violent-attack-girlfriends-corgi-sparking-fears-about?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3228246/today-its-dog-china-pet-abuser-dumped-after-violent-attack-girlfriends-corgi-sparking-fears-about?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jul 2023 06:00:21 +0000 For Oscar-winning documentary The Cove (2009), filmmaker Louie Psihoyos accompanies conservationist Ric O’Barry as he attempts, in the face of stiff resistance from local fishermen and officials, to document dolphin hunting in Taiji, Japan, from which some animals are sold to the global marine park trade and others are slaughtered for meat. Taison Chang Kai-tai, marine biologist and chair of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, tells Richard Lord how it changed his life. I saw it around... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3227410/how-oscar-winning-documentary-cove-made-one-hong-kong-marine-biologist-switch-180-degrees-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/arts-music/article/3227410/how-oscar-winning-documentary-cove-made-one-hong-kong-marine-biologist-switch-180-degrees-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:15:19 +0000 Veterinarians are preparing to airlift an Asian elephant from Sri Lanka back to its home country of Thailand this weekend after it spent more than two decades at a Buddhist temple where activists alleged it was abused. The Thai royal family gave the elephant as a gift in 2001 to Sri Lanka’s government, which in turn gifted it to the temple where it was named Muthu Raja, also known as Sak Surin, and given honoured roles in religious processions. However, the activist group Rally for Animal Rights... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3226245/gifted-temple-elephant-airlifted-back-thailand-after-allegations-abuse-neglect-sri-lanka?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3226245/gifted-temple-elephant-airlifted-back-thailand-after-allegations-abuse-neglect-sri-lanka?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jul 2023 12:28:16 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. I was saddened to read the media reports about the 14-month-old girl who died after her parents performed a “ritual exorcism” in a Kam Tin village house in June last year. The full facts were... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3221526/hong-kong-must-send-child-abusers-right-message-imposing-tougher-penalties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3221526/hong-kong-must-send-child-abusers-right-message-imposing-tougher-penalties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2023 03:30:11 +0000 An advertisement put up by animal rights group PETA, in the English seaside town of Cleethorpes, has gone viral after suggesting that eating cats and fish is the same thing. The advert, which the non-profit group placed outside a fish and chip shop, features a woman dressed as a fishmonger holding a cat. Underneath the image it reads: “Sea things in a different light. Respect all life. Go vegan.” A passer-by told a BBC reporter that they thought the ad was “a bit sick”. “It’s a cat. You don’t... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3218867/eating-cats-and-fish-same-thing-suggests-advert-outside-uk-chip-shop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3218867/eating-cats-and-fish-same-thing-suggests-advert-outside-uk-chip-shop?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Apr 2023 12:00:03 +0000 A Hong Kong frozen meat shop operator convicted of selling cat flesh for food was jailed for 10 weeks on Thursday. Wu Siyuan, 40, was sentenced in the Kwun Tong Court. He was earlier convicted of using or permitting the use of feline flesh for food and selling restricted meat in breach of the Dogs and Cats Regulations and the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance. The authorities raided the man’s shop on Reclamation Street in Yau Ma Tei in February after a media outlet reported that it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3216245/hong-kong-man-jailed-10-weeks-selling-cat-flesh-food-frozen-meat-shop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3216245/hong-kong-man-jailed-10-weeks-selling-cat-flesh-food-frozen-meat-shop?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2023 14:14:31 +0000 A Chinese parliamentary deputy has called for legislation to ban the mistreatment of pets – a move that would address a long-standing legal loophole. “The number of pets and scale of the industry has reached a high level in the country, but miseries like animal torture have been frequently exposed online,” Tang Lijun, a Sichuan-based veterinary surgeon and a delegate to the National People’s Congress, told local news site Thecover.cn on Tuesday. China’s state media calls for new animal laws... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3213108/chinas-two-sessions-2023-lawmaker-calls-legal-protections-pets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3213108/chinas-two-sessions-2023-lawmaker-calls-legal-protections-pets?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Mar 2023 01:00:15 +0000 A court in Vietnam has sentenced a man to 13 years in prison for trafficking nearly 10 tonnes of rhino horns, pangolin scales, and other banned wildlife products. Environmentalists hailed the verdict as a “rare success” in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade. Nguyen Duc Tai transported rhino horns, elephant tusks, pangolin scales and lion bones from South Africa and Nigeria to Vietnam in July 2021 and January 2022, according to a court in Danang in central Vietnam. He was taken into... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3211100/vietnam-jails-pangolin-rhino-parts-smuggler-13-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3211100/vietnam-jails-pangolin-rhino-parts-smuggler-13-years?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Feb 2023 09:14:49 +0000 Staff at a Hong Kong store are to be prosecuted after a raid by government agencies discovered cat DNA in meat samples seized from the premises. The blitz on the trade in illegal meat came after an investigation by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. “The [department] will not tolerate having dog or cat flesh for consumption and will follow up seriously,” a spokesman on Tuesday said. He added officials would boost surveillance, inspection and operations to combat similar... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3210220/cat-meat-destined-human-consumption-seized-raid-hong-kong-store?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3210220/cat-meat-destined-human-consumption-seized-raid-hong-kong-store?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 16:13:32 +0000 A privately run Chinese zoo has turned to social media live-streams and is offering animals for public adoption to raise funds in the face of falling attendance rates caused by China’s zero-Covid policy. Hongshan Forest Zoo in Nanjing, Jiangsu in eastern China, said ticket sales account for 80 per cent of its income. However, visitor numbers had collapsed over the past three years amid China’s stringent coronavirus controls. At the same time, it still has to buy feed for the thousands of animals... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3199128/please-adopt-me-desperate-chinese-zoo-receives-us360000-donation-after-getting-creative-cope-zero?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3199128/please-adopt-me-desperate-chinese-zoo-receives-us360000-donation-after-getting-creative-cope-zero?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Nov 2022 10:00:12 +0000 Swimming in two plastic bins inside a brightly lit and sterile quarantine room at a zoo on Rhode Island in the US, 16 quarter-sized turtle hatchlings represent a growing worry for conservationists. These eastern musk turtles, known for spending much of their lives in swamps and ponds and emitting a foul smell when threatened, were confiscated recently in a wildlife bust. And, though the reptiles are common, their illegal sale on the internet greatly concerns Lou Perrotti, who directs... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3199147/turtles-demand-pets-leading-spike-ruthless-poaching-calls-tighter-regulation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3199147/turtles-demand-pets-leading-spike-ruthless-poaching-calls-tighter-regulation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Nov 2022 09:55:20 +0000 China ranked as the top market for rhino horns over the past decade, but the country has taken steps to crack down on smugglers, according to a report from the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), a non-profit foundation based in The Hague. From 2012 to 2021, nearly 9,600 rhinos were poached from across Africa and 7.5 tonnes (8.3 tons) of illegal horns were seized globally, the WJC said, citing its analysis of more than 670 seizures. According to the report released on Thursday, “the demand for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3197604/china-ranks-top-rhino-horn-market-smuggling-networks-weakened-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3197604/china-ranks-top-rhino-horn-market-smuggling-networks-weakened-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Oct 2022 12:00:12 +0000 A dog owner in southern China was so worried about strangers feeding her pet corgi that she placed a Post-it note on the canine urging people not to feed it and even threatened to beat the animal if people did not comply. The owner, a woman surnamed Tang, from Nanning in Guangxi, became concerned about her pet’s health when she realised customers from an eatery near her home had been feeding her corgi. In a bid to stop people feeding her dog, Tang put a Post-it note on the corgi’s body in an act... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3197342/im-fat-dont-feed-or-mum-will-beat-me-chinese-dog-owner-uses-scary-message-sticky-note-stop-strangers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3197342/im-fat-dont-feed-or-mum-will-beat-me-chinese-dog-owner-uses-scary-message-sticky-note-stop-strangers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Oct 2022 01:00:16 +0000 A playful goat kept by a family in China as a pet and allowed to enjoy a free lifestyle has become a minor celebrity on mainland social media. The goat’s owner, surnamed Huang, from Shaanxi province in northwestern China, allows the 25kg animal, named Kaochuan, free rein of his home. Unlike most goats which tend to be docile, Kaochuan is a risk taker and likes to try and eat and play with everything he sees, Songshu Video reported. In a viral video, Kaochuan is seen happily accompanying his... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3195600/naughty-adorable-pet-sheep-china-eats-everything?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3195600/naughty-adorable-pet-sheep-china-eats-everything?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Oct 2022 01:00:14 +0000