Watch People Pet a Lion at a Zoo Where You Can Actually Touch Wild Animals
Dorothy is no longer the only person walking among lions, tigers and bears.
For about $25 a pop, the Lujan Zoo in Argentina allows visitors to frolic among the creatures who are kept there. That’s right – you can pet, feed and even pose for pictures with the animals as you stroll the grounds.
There have been loud whispers that the animals are sedated so they won’t pose any threat to people, but the zoo’s general manager says they are merely raised by dogs in order to set proper “boundaries.” He added, “We feed all the animals, especially the predators, so they won’t feel hungry when a human is inside their cage. And there are always two or more specially trained keepers inside the cage.”
Still, the zoo's actions don't sit right with everyone. One animal activist said, "“The zoo is, in my view, placing the lives of its visitors at great risk by encouraging them to have 'close encounters' with dangerous, potentially lethal, wild animals. Anyone who has any knowledge of big cats will understand that they are wild animals and, as such, are unpredictable."