Fury has erupted in China after footage emerged of a monkey being forced to take part in a mock execution during a live show at a tourist attraction.
A disturbing video shows the primate made to kneel with its arms bound and a hood pulled over its head before a performer appears to simulate shooting it.
The incident took place at Longquan Ancient Town Drama Fantasy City in Luquan District, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China, as a delighted audience watched on.
Footage that emerged on February 22 shows a macaque fitted with a metal muzzle and dressed in a yellow vest as it is forced to kneel on the ground by a man who is speaking into a microphone and addressing the crowd full of children.
The man then covers the monkey’s head with a black cloth and ties its arms behind it to a plastic pipe.
He picks up a prop gun and appears to simulate shooting the monkey, after which the animal drops to the ground and lies still as part of the act.
Meanwhile, another monkey can be seen tethered by a long rope around its neck. Two other monkeys can also be seen in the background, tied with ropes.
The video prompted a wave of complaints from viewers who described the scenes as distressing and accused the show of animal abuse.
A disturbing video shows the primate made to kneel with its arms bound and a hood pulled over its head before a performer appears to simulate shooting it
Footage shows a macaque fitted with a metal muzzle and dressed in a yellow vest as it is forced to kneel on the ground by a man who is speaking into a microphone. He picks up a prop gun and appears to simulate shooting the monkey, after which the animal drops to the ground and lies still as part of the act
The incident took place at Longquan Ancient Town Drama Fantasy City in Luquan District, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China, as a delighted audience watched on
On February 25, 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 scenic area said it had terminated its contract with the performance partner and halted 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 on February 25th and 26th 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.
Longquan Ancient Town has operated since 2002 and focuses on preserving historic buildings relocated from several provinces across China.
In February 2021, it was named one of Hebei Province’s ‘Top Ten Cultural Industry Projects’ for 2020.
