A viral video showing theme park visitors standing on a live tortoise has sparked widespread outrage and prompted the park to crack down on animal mistreatment.
The footage, filmed in August at Changlu Tourism and Leisure Park in Guangdong Province, China, and obtained by Newsflare, shows a guest stepping onto a tortoise’s back and squatting on the reptile while holding a child. The incident occurred in the park’s designated animal-experience area, despite signage instructing visitors not to sit or stand on the animals.
In the clip, the tortoise appears to struggle under the added weight. Amid growing outrage over the video, the park said it would implement new blacklisting policies to prevent animal cruelty, according to Newsflare. The park told the outlet that a veterinarian examined the tortoise after the recorded incident and found it in good health.
While a shell may look like sturdy armor, experts note it is far more vulnerable than it appears. According to Spruce Pets, a tortoise’s shell is living tissue fused to its skeleton, and pressure from being stepped on can cause severe fractures that aren’t visible from the outside. That means an animal can appear unharmed while having sustained serious damage.
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The incident is only the latest example of park and zoo visitors mishandling animals in ways that draw public condemnation.
