All the ridiculous things that they do, I just wonder how their
brains work...
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S'PORE ANIMAL LOVERS SAY:
Shame on you!
Shanghai's animal Olympics
Kangaroo boxes with clown
Zebra in hurdles race
Chimp ignites cauldron
October 01, 2006
CLOWN hits kangaroo, and kangaroo hits back. This is no circus act,
but a tasteless marsupial-versus-human match which is part of the
fourth National Animal Olympics in Shanghai.
The Olympics, which started on Thursday, was staged at the Shanghai
Wild Animal Park in Nanhui district.
Pictures: AFP, Reuters, Xinhua
In the fight, the kangaroo appears to reel backwards after
receiving a right hook from its garishly-attired opponent.
Fortunately, the stunned animal - which was wearing boxing gloves
on its front paws - recovered fast enough to sock one right back at
its attacker.
It proceeded to grapple with the clown, who was then forced back
towards the ropes by its onslaught.
Animal rights campaigners are outraged, reported British newspaper
Daily Mail. Activists here have also slammed the Animal
Olympics.
Mr Louis Ng, president of the Animal Concerns Research and
Education, told The New Paper: 'All this abuse should stop.'
He found it especially appalling since China is also hosting the
Summer Olympics, for humans, in 2008.
Executive officer for Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (SPCA), Ms Deirdre Moss, was equally angry.
'Training may also have involved cruel methods to coerce the
animals into a willingness to perform.'
The kangaroo is just one of 300 'athletes' taking part in the
annual event. Dogs, tigers, bears, horses and zebras among other
animals compete in a range of events including hurdles and
races.
According to the Shanghai Daily News, a 10-year-old elephant named
Mary had opened the games by carrying the torch to the stadium and
passing it to a 3-year-old chimpanzee called Baobao, which then
ignited the cauldron.
The Animal Olympics will end on 30 Nov.
