A female tourist was filmed trampling on a tortoise’s back at Changlu Tourism and Leisure Park in Foshan, Guangdong, China, on 21 Aug.
She did this while holding a young girl believed to be her child.
The incident drew widespread attention from netizens, who called out the woman for animal abuse.
The original poster (OP) of the video claimed that the family first kicked the tortoise before riding on it, Shanxi Evening News reported.
They also trampled on the animal despite being a sign in the area asking tourists not to step or sit on the reptiles.
Source: Kinliu
The OP alleged that no staff member tried to stop the family from trampling on the tortoise.
Footage of the incident showed the woman squatting on the animal and laughing as it moved.
She then even tried to call her son to join in.
Many netizens were outraged by the tourist’s actions, with some noting that she is setting a bad example for her kids.
Source: Taiwan Strait Situation
Following the backlash, Changlu Tourism and Leisure Park said it had arranged for a veterinarian to examine the tortoise involved.
The examination reportedly found the animal to be in good health.
The park also said it would investigate any lapses in its on-site management.
Source: Kinliu
It explained that a tortoise’s shell is fused with its spine and ribs and is full of nerves and blood vessels.
Therefore, humans stepping on it could crack the shell, damage the spine, or even compress the animal’s internal organs.
However, the park has not announced whether the tourists involved would face any penalties for their actions.
Also read: Woman tries to sit on injured deer in Japan, gets called out for ‘animal cruelty’
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Featured image adapted from Kinliu.