Absolutely amazing experience yesterday at @DartmoorZoo with my wife! Tug of war with a 🦁 and yeh we lost 🙈 lol!#DartmoorZoo #Lion #TugOfWar pic.twitter.com/pkwqgxlSmL
— Jay (@jayalex87) February 17, 2019
There is a gate separating guests from the animals, and the zoo argues that the activity helps keep the lions and tigers fit and healthy. That hasn’t dissuaded over 2,000 people from signing a petition calling the practice cruel.
Sue Dally, who organized the petition, believes it demonstrates a “total lack of respect for these beautiful majestic wild animals […] the zoo is acting more like a circus than somewhere that really cares about the health and safety of the endangered animals in their captivity.” The animal charity RSPCA echoed her sentiment. “There are many alternative ways of [giving the animals exercize] and we feel it should not be marketed for public entertainment and that this activity does not promote respect for animals.”
The zoo, however, is pushing back, claiming the animals genuinely enjoy the activity. “In the cooler weather,” said a zoo spokeswoman, “Dartmoor Zoo’s keepers occasionally do rope-pulling with their big cats for enrichment purposes. This type of activity, which is common at many zoos, is very important to keep the animals fit and healthy as it encourages exercise, which builds muscle mass.” She adds, “It is completely at the cat’s discretion if they want to engage with the enrichment and they are not forced to participate in any way.” 
H/T: The Guardian