WATCH: Horrifying footage shows 'drugged' lion barely moving in pictures with tourists
HORRIFYING footage has emerged online showing handlers forcing a 'drugged' lion to pose for photos with tourists.
Lion drugged for tourist selfies claim
The video, viewed more than 1.6million times on social media, shows the majestic big cat falling in and out consciousness next to smiling holidaymakers.
Despite the king of the jungle lying down in the depths of sleep, a keeper can be seen repeatedly dragging its head up to wake it up and pose for photos.
A young man and woman sit next to the sleeping lion - touching the beast - before the boy poses alone.
The lion, aside from having its head pulled up, looks dazed and unaware of its surroundings as other tourists look on.
A keeper, dressed in a uniform, appears to be using a blue whip to prod the lion into submission, videoed touching its nose and mouth to keep its head up.
The cruel scenes were shot at Taman Safari in Indonesia, which has since faced calls from Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group, an animal protection NGO, to face an investigation into the mobile phone footage.
The lion was reportedly drugged for tourists
The keeper repeatedly grabs the lions head in the clip
They said: “We have asked the ministry of Environment to do a joint investigation related to it, now we will try to communicate with KLH [Institutional Ministry of Environment], and we want to make sure whether the lion was actually given drugs.”
We have asked the ministry of Environment to do a joint investigation related to it
But a local paper quoted a spokesman of Taman Safari, Julius Suprihardo, refuting the claims.
He said: “As is known, lions, tigers and animals it's actually kind of animals that are active at night, they had a few hours sleep to 20 hours, so maybe that was seen was when she was sleeping.
“So it is not true that so-called drugged.”
The park’s website describes its mission to become a ‘role model for other animal parks and recreation theme parks, by passionately carry out activities in the sustainable conservation of endangered species’.
The lion keeps falling asleep during the photoshoot
More tourists queue to take a photo with the lion
The film has received a mixed reaction online, with Elliott Shoebridge writing: “I hope that Lion wakes up and eats every single one of them!!!”
Barbara Augsburger, also took pity on the feline, saying: “I am ashamed to belong to the human race.”