Just when it seemed that the Chinese had plumbed the depths of animal humiliation, along comes something even worse.
The country which gave you bears riding bikes now proudly presents ... lions and tigers on horseback.
In one of the nation's most notorious zoos, applauding spectators are treated to a bizarre display as a 30-stone lion leaps on to the horse's back.
Then it rides around the ring while a trainer with a whip keeps it moving.
After that, a 35-stone tiger climbs up on the same terrified steed for its turn in the limelight.
The shocking pictures come from the animal park at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on">Xiamen</st1:City> in <st1:State w:st="on">Fujian</st1:State>, south-east <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">China</st1lace></st1:country-region>, where the public seem to delight in humiliating circus-style stunts and have no regard for animal cruelty.
Conditions are poor, with big cats including lions, tigers and leopards and other large animals including bears kept in solitary confinement in tiny cages.
Elsewhere in the country, bears ride bicycles at an "Animal Games" in Nanjing.At the Xiogsen Bear and <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Tiger</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Mountain</st1:PlaceType> village in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Guilin</st1lace></st1:City>, live animals are fed to tigers as a show for tourists. Bears pulling cars in a race with a strong man caused anger after the bizarre stunt was shown in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Jinan</st1lace></st1:City> last year.
In a display in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Changchun</st1lace></st1:City>, a tiger is put in a cage with an ox while muzzled so it tries to attack its prey but cannot kill it, producing an agonising and long-drawn-out battle.
Save <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>'s Tigers, a charity which has a branch in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">UK</st1lace></st1:country-region>, campaigns to save animals trapped in the country's zoos.
It carries out public education schemes in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">China</st1lace></st1:country-region> to raise awareness .<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o></o>
The country which gave you bears riding bikes now proudly presents ... lions and tigers on horseback.
In one of the nation's most notorious zoos, applauding spectators are treated to a bizarre display as a 30-stone lion leaps on to the horse's back.
Then it rides around the ring while a trainer with a whip keeps it moving.
After that, a 35-stone tiger climbs up on the same terrified steed for its turn in the limelight.
The shocking pictures come from the animal park at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on">Xiamen</st1:City> in <st1:State w:st="on">Fujian</st1:State>, south-east <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">China</st1lace></st1:country-region>, where the public seem to delight in humiliating circus-style stunts and have no regard for animal cruelty.Conditions are poor, with big cats including lions, tigers and leopards and other large animals including bears kept in solitary confinement in tiny cages.
Elsewhere in the country, bears ride bicycles at an "Animal Games" in Nanjing.At the Xiogsen Bear and <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Tiger</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Mountain</st1:PlaceType> village in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Guilin</st1lace></st1:City>, live animals are fed to tigers as a show for tourists. Bears pulling cars in a race with a strong man caused anger after the bizarre stunt was shown in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Jinan</st1lace></st1:City> last year.In a display in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Changchun</st1lace></st1:City>, a tiger is put in a cage with an ox while muzzled so it tries to attack its prey but cannot kill it, producing an agonising and long-drawn-out battle.Save <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>'s Tigers, a charity which has a branch in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">UK</st1lace></st1:country-region>, campaigns to save animals trapped in the country's zoos.It carries out public education schemes in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">China</st1lace></st1:country-region> to raise awareness .<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o></o>
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