Shock footage of a kangaroo in a Chinese zoo has sparked concern
In footage shared to social media, the Aussie native can be seen lying on its back as visitors gather around, petting and even attempting to hold its hand.
The red kangaroo keeps its eyes completely closed and only manages to pull its hand away once before another person goes to hold it.
In a second clip, what appears to be the same kangaroo is seen lying on its back unresponsive with its eyes closed as people hover over it.
One person offers the marsupial some food that it attempts to eat before dropping its head to the side.
The clips, which were filmed on May 18, saw many branding the scenes 'amusing' and 'entertaining.'
Viewers were quick to praise the 'calm and sleepy' animal for remaining calm and being so good around people.
However, others expressed their concerns, suggesting the kangaroo may have been sedated in order to keep it docile around visitors.
Prominent Victorian wildlife carer, Helen Round, has been working with kangaroos for over a decade.
The 56-year-old from East Trentham is a fierce defender of the native animal and works tirelessly to raise, rehabilitate and release them.
Speaking to news.com.au, Ms Round revealed that the animal 'very well could be' under sedation.
'It wouldn't be the first time that an animal in an Asian zoo was sedated,' she said.
Although red kangaroos have a habit on lying on their backs to 'sun themselves', Ms Round believes this is likely not the case with this footage.
She further revealed that it's hardly unheard of for kangaroos and other wild Australian animals to end up in foreign zoos or ownership.
'They are shipped all over the world, all you need is a license to sell,' she said.
Just last month, a frazzled runaway kangaroo temporarily shut down an interstate highway in Alabama before it was shot and sedated.
The owner, Patrick Starr, told the Associated Press that his family runs a petting zoo but Sheila (the kangaroo) is just a pet.
'People fancy the idea of having a pet kangaroo but they're not an animal that is meant for domesticity. Very few of them are suitable to be kept as pets,' said Ms Round.
Concerns around the sedation of wild animals at zoos first came into the spotlight in 2016 when a clip of a heavily sedated lion being used as a photo prop in Thailand went viral.
In the footage, a park worker repeatedly pushed a drugged lion cub's head up while visitors draped their arms over it and urged it to say 'cheese' for the camera.
In 2018, a kangaroo was viciously stoned to death by visitors at a Chinese zoo because it didn't display its signature hop.
The 12-year-old female kangaroo suffered a severely injured foot when it was struck by bricks and concrete chunks and died just days later from a reported ruptured kidney as a result.
In 2020, a woman sparked outrage after taking photos of herself holding the testicles of a presumed sedated tiger at a Chiang Mai wildlife park.
Animal sedation raises serious ethical concerns about the treatment and wellbeing of animals. They may experience health risks or distress from sedation such as unnatural behaviour that misrepresents their true nature.
Under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the maximum penalty for a wildlife trade offence is 10 years imprisonment or a fine of up to $210,000 for an individual. Despite these penalties, wildlife trafficking remains a significant issue, with reports of increased illegal activity in recent years.
Wildlife trafficking reports in Queensland alone have doubled over the past two years, with the scale of the problem potentially reaching 'catastrophic' levels.
It is estimated that wildlife trafficking is the fourth-largest organised crime globally, worth over $450 billion a year.
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