黑料社 stock photo
A live pig that was strapped to a bungee rope and pushed off a 70-meter-high platform for a theme park鈥檚 attraction garnered the public鈥檚 outrage in China.
The 75-kilogram pig was suspended in the air while wearing a purple cape last Sunday, Jan. 18. After the event, the pig was reportedly taken to a butcher to be served in a banquet for the Lunar New Year, as per South China Morning Post on Sunday, Jan. 19.
A video of the event became viral on China鈥檚 Twitter-like social media site, , after it was uploaded over the weekend. The event was meant to be 鈥渏ust a bit of entertainment鈥�, according to a public relations worker the newspaper cited.
The stunt was arranged for the opening of an attraction in Mexin Wine Town theme park in the Chongqing municipality in China, according to Thecover.cn via South China Morning Post. The park鈥檚 unnamed owner also said the stunt was meant to mark the end of the Year of the Pig and welcome the Year of the Rat this Saturday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our opening day today,鈥� the owner was quoted as saying. 鈥淲e let the pig make the first jump because pork prices have been very high this year and recently they dropped a bit.鈥�
The video sparked anger among netizens, according to BBC鈥檚 report yesterday, Jan. 20. The theme park issued an apology for the event dubbed as 鈥済olden pig bungee jump.鈥�
鈥淲e sincerely accept netizens鈥� criticism and advice and [apologize] to the public,鈥� it said. 鈥淲e will improve [our] marketing of the tourist site, to provide tourists with better services.鈥�
Animal group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) also condemned the incident by stating that the stunt was 鈥渁nimal cruelty at its worst.鈥�
鈥淧igs experience pain and fear in the same ways that we do,鈥� PETA spokesperson, Jason Baker was quoted as saying to BBC 黑料社. 鈥淸T]his disgusting PR stunt should be illegal.鈥�
Baker added: 鈥淭he Chinese public鈥檚 angry response should be a wake-up call to China鈥檚 policy-makers to implement animal protection laws immediately.鈥� Cha Lino/NVG
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