Ro Hong-chul's "grassland life" photos have become the center of controversy belatedly.
Recently on online communities and social media, a post titled "the drugged lion posted on Ro Hong-chul's Instagram" along with the post posted on Ro Hong-chul's social media is receiving renewed attention.
Earlier, Ro Hong-chul on Jan. 30 posted on his social media "I touch the tip of the sleeping lion's fur. #towardgrief #agingasplanned…" along with photos and videos shot on the African savanna.
The posted material showed wild animals such as giraffes, zebras and gnus freely coming and going around the private lodging, and scenes of interaction sitting next to a white lion. In particular, it drew attention when images were released of him stroking the lion's belly and walking side by side, prompting reactions such as "Isn't this AI composite?"
Then an Africa-focused travel agency targeted Ro Hong-chul's post and the Tanzanian lodging where Ro Hong-chul stayed, posting, "Does this lion look normal to you?"
The travel agency said, "Even if you try to package it as a sleeping lion in a fairy-tale way, this lion is drugged," adding the claim, "The reason the lion walks beside you with sleepy eyes, can be touched, and cannot resist when its belly is tapped is because a drug was injected."
The author wrote, "These places (the facility) make lions lethargic by administering sedatives or tranquilizers," mentioning the 2015 documentary "Blood Lions" and pointing to issues of drugging linked to the tourism industry and the structure of "canned hunting."
They added, "The terrible truth about this lodging will be an embarrassing record to post on Instagram. I hope places like this are not packaged like a dream and that this terrible industry does not continue to grow," and tagged Ro Hong-chul's account again.
The lodging is a safari-style accommodation located near Tanzania's Kilimanjaro National Park, and it had attracted attention on social media by promoting close-up experiences with lions as well as herbivores such as giraffes and zebras coming and going around the lodging. However, some travel reviews and online posts raised concerns such as "the animals' movements are excessively sluggish" and "the animals seemed to be controlled for filming." Whether sedatives were administered has not been confirmed, but ethical issues surrounding commercial wildlife experiences continue to be a subject of debate.
As the post spread, netizens reacted with concern saying, "Isn't that a drugged lion?" and "Isn't this animal abuse tourism?" Some said, "It could be a simple misunderstanding," taking a cautious stance, but criticisms that the lion's eyes and behavior look unnatural followed.
Later, some netizens pointed out the danger through Ro Hong-chul's account, saying, "They forcibly sedate and anesthetize those lions, so they look like that. The lions then slowly die from organ damage," highlighting the risk.
Meanwhile Ro Hong-chul has been steadily sharing updates from his stay in Africa, including news of his successful Kilimanjaro climb.
[photo] social media
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