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Beyonce and her family came under fire after a photo surfaced showing them participating in a tiger attraction at a theme park in Thailand.
The Drunk In Love hitmaker, husband Jay Z and their two-year-old daughter feature in the photo which was taken during a visit to FantaSea in Phuket, Thailand showing Blue looking on as the wild cat fed on a bottle of milk.
Bey can be seen stroking the tiger with her and her little girl wearing traditional Thai outfits, big gold earrings and matching tiaras for the family shot, which was taken last week.
World Animal Protection has now hit out at the star, telling her “a tiger is not a plaything.”
In a statement, wildlife expert Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach said: “Their health and well-being should not be sacrificed for a photo opportunity. When you look behind the scenes, holiday snaps like these support an industry that relies on animal cruelty.
“Many tourists unwittingly contribute to the suffering of wild animals like these. They’re simply not aware that their ‘once in a lifetime’ photo means a lifetime of misery for that animal.
She went on to explain the tigers used for these kinds of photographs are often crammed into tiny cages or CHAINED to the floor for long periods of time.
Dr Schmidt-Burbach said: “They are also forcibly removed from their mothers to be fed artificially by tourists.
“All in all a far cry from their natural lives in the wild. But this sordid side of tourism is conveniently hidden from public view.
“I urge anyone who is thinking about posing with a wild animal to watch World Animal Protection’s video to learn the facts before they book their next holiday.
“Once people know the truth, they can take action to end this cruelty by choosing to see wild animals in the wild where they belong.”
Meanwhile, animal rights groups and fans also criticised the singer for being pictured riding an elephant during her trip.
One Green Planet voiced their unhappy thoughts on Bey’s animal fun, saying: “Surely tourism agencies would tell you differently, but there is an incredible amount of suffering involved in Thai elephant tourism.”
Agencies/Canadajournal
