CHINA: Most Dangerous Zoo In The World Where Tourists Are Cagged And Animals Visit Them!

The Lehe Ledu Wildlife Zoo in the city of Chongqing in China has turned the traditional concept of a zoo on its head by caging its visitors instead of the resident animals.

People pay to get inside a cage at the back of a truck, which is driven into an open habitat where big cats, as well as bears in other areas, roam ‘free’.

Chunks of fresh meat are tied to the outside of a vehicle, which drives through the enclosure, in a bid to attract the predators and give tourists the closest possible dining experience with them without becoming dinner themselves.

What makes all of this even more unusual is the fact that the caged visitors can hand-feed the wild cats, including lions, Bengal tigers and white tigers, through a small opening at the top of the meh.

This draws the predators and images show the large cats up against and even on top of the cage as tourists push meat on a stick through the small opening at the top.

Critics say this is simply an accident waiting to happen, as the tigers’ claws, for example, get so close to the people inside the cages.

Only in China would such an out-there idea come to fruition. The country has been known for some of its outlandish occurrences like the giant moon that recently rolled through the city of Fuzhou, sharks and crocodiles for sale at Walmart and a variety of comical English translations on t-shirts.

So, it seems to be no surprise that the Lehe Ledu wildlife zoo offers such a strange experience, allowing humans to be caged and observe the animals as they freely roam.

The founders of the zoo say that they wanted to create an experience where visitors could feel the thrill of being stalked by a large animal without taking any actual risks.

They wanted to turn the traditional zoo experience around, and people are taking a huge liking to the idea. In fact, tickets to the park are being booked up months in advance as the demand is so high.

Animals included are White Tigers, Bengal Tigers, and Bears who are lured by live chickens and actual cuts of meats. As many pictures show, the animals will approach the caged vehicle and climb onto the sides to reach the meat, giving spectators a full on view.

Those inside the cage are warned by zoo officials to keep their fingers and toes inside as they could easily be mistaken for food by the animals.

The concept is bringing in local Chinese tourists from all over the country as well as international tourists who want to experience it too.

While the overwhelming majority find the zoo to be a fantastic idea, there are people out there saying that it’s an accident waiting to happen.

However, animal lovers have mostly good things to say as they feel that the zoo gives the animals a much better life than the traditional enclosures of zoos around the world. It also gives visitors an opportunity to understand how animals in captivity may feel.

On the flip side, extreme animal activists still believe that the practice is cruel as the animals have been taken out of their natural environments. These activists also argue that it’s inhumane to bait the animals and then watch them as a form of entertainment.

For now, the zoo still remains one of China’s top up-and-coming attractions since it opened in 2015. People are still flocking there to have a unique experience that they feel is both thrilling and educational.

If you’re thinking about checking out the zoo, there are plenty of other things for you to do while visiting Chongqing. Dig deeper into the industrial services and you will find some quirky attractions to fill in your visit to the zoo.

Venture and explore:

• Zhou Enlai’s Former Residence: Once working alongside Mao Zedong, this member of the Communist Party held residence in Chongqing along the Jialing River. His home has since been preserved and now serves as a museum that is open to the public.

• Foreigner Street: Considered an area for entertainment and amusement, it’s the place to go if you want to find shopping and foreign owned businesses. There is an Australian bar, and upside down house, church and apparently the world’s biggest public restroom.

• The Pedestrian Street: It’s located in the affluent downtown area amongst the skyscrapers and business centers. However, it is a gem full of shops, malls, high-end hotels and shopping centers.

• Three Gorges Museum: A museum showing off the Ba minority culture and life in Chongqing back in the Qing Dynasty.

• Zha Zi Dong: A prison from the 1940s that previously held more than 200 Communist prisoners who were killed at the end of the war in 1949.

• Red Rock Village: The spot where Mao Zedong negotiated with Jiang Jieshi. There is an exhibit center available here for those who wish to learn a little more about the history.

• Ciqikou: A river town that shows off the architecture of a Chongqing from the past. There are old streets and little shops selling tourist souvenirs amongst the functioning homes of locals and pretty views.


Tourism Observer