Los Angeles: ‘Little Mermaid’ star Halle Bailey has been hit with an onslaught of backlash from fans after posting photographs with animals at a zoo.
The 23-year-old Atlanta-born actress, who plays the role of Princess Ariel in the upcoming live-action remake of the Disney classic, has left fans feeling “disappointed” after her most recent Instagram post, reports mirror.co.uk.
Sharing a series of snaps from her travels, Halle could be seen posing for photos with animals, with many fans claiming that she was at Safari World in Bangkok.
The animal attraction in question has been under worldwide scrutiny for years because of their alleged poor treatment of animals.
Posing with orangutans and tiger cubs – with the latter reported to have been made to live in cramped cages at Safari World – Halle looked content as she enjoyed her break ahead of the Little Mermaid release next month.
In 2018, we reported how orangutans were forced to take part in daily boxing bouts at the Bangkok-based attraction, with the boxing matched “proudly advertised on the zoo’s website” at the time.
Nonprofit organisation PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) commented on the photo, writing: “We know you love animals, but supporting cruel attractions like this is hurting them.
“More than half a million exotic animals are exploited worldwide in the tourism industry – many torn away from their families, exploited for photo ops and condemned to a lifetime of suffering.
“It’s up to all of us tourists to stop funding places that are exploiting them for profit and continuing this cycle of abuse. Please keep animals out of your future travel plans.”
Taking to the comments section, many fans were quick to slam Halle for supposedly visiting Safari World, with fans concerned for the animals she posed with in the snaps she shared.
–IANS