A video from a Chinese zoo is going viral, sparking outrage over the keepers’ absolutely brutal treatment of the crocodiles. They chase a large “prey” animal to force the giant crocodiles to eat it—while also violently beating the animals. It’s completely unhinged.
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Chinese Zoos: Recurring Allegations of Abuse and Legal Loopholes
The pattern of footage regarding zoo animal husbandry spreading online and sparking accusations of abuse is one that has played out repeatedly in China. At a privately run zoo in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, severe malnutrition caused by food shortages led to mass fatalities between 2009 and 2010—including the deaths of at least 11 Siberian tigers—causing the total animal population to plummet from 1,020 in 2000 to 518 in 2010. In another incident near Shanghai, footage circulated showing a live donkey being thrown into a tiger enclosure and subsequently killed.
Underlying these recurring incidents is a legislative void: China still lacks a comprehensive national law specifically prohibiting animal abuse. Experts spearheaded a draft law in 2009—which included provisions banning practices such as feeding live poultry to zoo animals—but it never became law. A public opinion survey conducted by China’s Ministry of Justice found that 96% of respondents supported the enactment of legislation to prevent animal abuse, highlighting a persistent gap between public sentiment and the legal framework.
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