Footage of monkeys that were allegedly abused during a live performance at a tourist attraction has sparked outrage in China.
The outrageous performance took place at Longquan Ancient Town Drama Fantasy City in Luquan District, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China.
One video showed a macaque fitted with a metal muzzle and dressed in a yellow vest. The animal was forced to kneel on the ground by a man who was speaking into a microphone and addressing the crowd full of children.
The man then covered the monkey’s head with a black cloth and tied its arms behind it to a plastic pipe.
He picked up a prop gun and appeared to simulate shooting the monkey, after which the animal dropped to the ground and lay still.
Another monkey was seen tethered by a long rope around its neck, with two other monkeys seen in the background tied up.
The video elicited complaints from viewers who described the scenes as distressing and accused the show of animal abuse.
Staff at Longquan Ancient Town told media outlets that the monkey act was run by an outsourced performance team and that the attraction only provided the venue, with no involvement in the day-to-day management of the show.
After receiving multiple complaints, the tourist attraction said it had terminated its contract with the performance partner and stopped the act.
Customer service representatives confirmed the show had been removed from the programme.
Officials from the Luquan District Culture, Radio, Television, Sports and Tourism Bureau said that they were aware of the public outcry and had launched an investigation.
They confirmed that the performers involved were members of an external team rather than employees of the tourist site.
The investigation is ongoing.
