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This is the shocking moment a tiger cub refused to back down as a staff member kicked and beat it while it playfully attacked the slippers she was wearing inside its enclosure.
The incident was filmed at Shendiaoshan Wildlife World in Weihai, in China's Shandong Province, on 9th August, and the footage was later widely shared online.
The video shows the cub fixating on the woman's slipper, which has cartoon eyes and a face stitched onto it. The cub pounces on the slipper, bites at it, and refuses to let go.
The staff member kicks at the cub repeatedly in an attempt to shake it off. She then uses a wooden stick to strike the animal.
But the cub only becomes more determined, leaping up and snapping at her hand at one point, before clamping its teeth back on the slipper.
The woman eventually drops her phone during the struggle. As the cub continues to bite, one of her slippers and socks is left inside the enclosure when she finally retreats.
Shendiaoshan Wildlife World is one of China’s largest private animal parks and is known for staging cub interaction events where visitors can get close to young tigers and lions. Videos of these "meet-and-greet" sessions are regularly shared on the zoo’s social media channels.
Following the outcry over the clip, the zoo confirmed the woman in the video was a staff member and promised to report her "inappropriate behaviour."
Animal welfare experts say tiger cubs are less aggressive than adults but are still classed as wild animals.
They stress that interactions should stop if the animals show signs of distress, and that entering an enclosure in slippers and using violence against cubs is not acceptable.
(Mike Leidig / newsX)
Byline Journalist: Mike Leidig
Byline Sub editor: Simona Kitanovska
Byline Spotter: Ivica Stojanovski
Byline Commisioning Editor: Mike Leidig
Byline Senior Writer: Mike Leidig
Byline Picture Editor: Zorica Stojkovik
Byline Video Editor: David Stojkovic
Byline Copychecker: Emily Wu
Byline Illustrator: Angela Trajkovska
Byline News Editor: Mike Leidig
Geography: Weihai
Subject: Animals, Big cats, Tigers, Humans, Women, Social media, Society
T4 Editor Story Rating: 7
T4 Editor Pic/Vid rating: 9
T4 Total rating: 8
