Mick Hartley

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loltigers!

The Siberian tiger: a very rare protected species, the largest of the tigers – in fact the largest living member of the cat family – and surely one of the most powerful, extraordinary, beautiful, charismatic, terrifying animals on earth. So what do we do with them? Get 'em to sit up and look ridiculous, like a bunch of super-size humiliated meerkats. Yes, we're Welcoming the Year of the Tiger at The Big Picture:

Tigers21_22165805
[AP Photo]

"Siberian tigers sit up gesturing to visitors during a show at a zoo on the second day of the Lunar New Year in Fuzhou in southeast China's Fujian province, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010."

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4 responses to “loltigers!”

  1. Solomon Avatar
    Solomon

    Must…resist…urge…to…scratch bellies…

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  2. Martin Audley Avatar
    Martin Audley

    Seriously, this picture is a Good Thing.
    If we want need tigers to be worth more alive than dead if they are to avoid extinction. And people are willing to pay to see them in a chinese zoo.
    We don’t live in a perfect world. I appreciate that(if you think anthropomorphically) it’s demeaning to the majesty of the animals, but IF this particular zoo has a breeding program, and IF they are any good at it, then this is what we want, isn’t it?

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  3. Mick H Avatar
    Mick H

    Well, yes, I take your point: still think it’s a demeaning picture though.

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  4. Martin Audley Avatar
    Martin Audley

    Actually Mick, you may have been right first time. There’s at least one claim (http://www.aapn.org/zoopage.html) out there that this zoo is just a freak show. Shame.
    Same report also says, however, that street hawkers outside are selling animal skins, so the zoo is not the absolute worst place for those tigers. I guess western enlightenment has a way to go yet to reach Fuzhou.

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