International outcry after Chinese theme park forces pig to bungee jump from 230 feet

A Chinese theme park has caused international outcry after it forced a pig to bungee jump off a 68-metre high tower.

Video footage, which has been shared and screengrabbed across social media, shows the pig tied to a pole, carried by two men to the top of a tower before being pushed off.

The BBC reports that the Chongqing theme park said that the stunt was held to mark the opening of the new bungee attraction, which organisers called the 'golden pig bungee jump'. It was reported that the pig was slaughtered afterwards.

People were disgusted with the incident, with many people condemning the theme park and sharing distressing images of the stunt taking place.

Animal cruelty is not punishable by law in China. The country has been criticised for its attitude towards animal welfare, with high-profile events like the Yulin dog meat festival receiving particular criticism.

While some people argued that treating the pig in this way is no different to eating it for food, the overwhelming reaction to this stunt has been disgust.

After all, pigs have outperformed three-year-old children on cognitive tests and are more intelligent than dogs.

Animal protection organisation Peta condemned the incident, calling it "animal cruelty at its worst". Jason Baker, Peta senior vice-president of international campaigns, told BBC News:

Pigs experience pain and fear in the same ways that we do, and this disgusting PR stunt should be illegal.

Afterwards, the park said that it accepted the “criticism”, saying:

We sincerely accept netizens' criticism and advice and apologise to the public.

We will improve [our] marketing of the tourist site, to provide tourists with better services.

H/T: BBC News

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