A controversial zoo in China is once again under scrutiny after it was accused of sedating kangaroos so visitors could pet and feed them.
Chilling footage shared earlier this month showed an adult red kangaroo at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park in Pudong, China, lying on its back in the dirt.
The marsupial was barely able to open its eyes as a crowd of tourists knelt around it, grabbed at its paw and took pictures.
Other videos from the park show multiple kangaroos in the enclosure all lying on the ground as tourists including young children interacted with them.
Some viewers online suggested the kangaroos looked as though they had been sedated to keep them docile.
According to the Queensland Department of the Environment ‘kangaroos readily accept our presence if we show no aggression towards them but, if we get too close, they may see us as a threat’ and attack.
‘Kangaroos and wallabies that are used to being fed can approach people expecting food. When there is no food, they may become aggressive.’
The animals in the video are red kangaroos, which are the largest of the species and can grow up to 1.8metres tall. The marsupials can balance on their tails and deliver a powerful kick which has caused fatalities.
Footage of a lethargic red kangaroo at China’s Shanghai Wild Animal Park has sparked concern
Shanghai Wild Animal has previously made headlines after one of its workers was fatally attacked by a bear in front of a packed tour bus in October 2020.
The worker was mauled in an area where the bears roamed free and was only accessible to visitors by vehicle.
An excavator was being used in the area when the attack occurred and the zoo subsequently said it would improve its safety procedures.
The zoo has also been accused of forcing animals to participate in races.
In 2017, former Australian racing greyhounds sold to the zoo were made to race against cheetahs.
Four years earlier, a black bear attacked a monkey after the animals were forced to race bicycles around a small track in front of a crowd of people.
In 2015, non-profit Wild Welfare accused the zoo of mistreating tigers after a video emerged of an underweight and lethargic-looking tiger cub being handled by a zookeeper and a young visitor.
The video was shared to the Chinese app weibo.
The non-profit claimed in the video ‘the zookeeper repeatedly tried to stimulate the cub by flicking and tapping its face, but the cub remained floppy. The keeper is also seen handling the cub roughly, at one point lifting it by just one front limb.’
