A tourist sparked outrage after a video was shared of them appearing to throw a plastic bag into the mouth of a hippo while visiting a wildlife sanctuary. The clip shows a silver car pull up next to a watering hole where a hippo is enjoying a dip. A tourist is then seen hanging out the car window dangling a carrot before tossing it in the animal’s mouth.
At the same time, what looks like a clear plastic bag is thrown into the hippo’s mouth as it appears to hesitantly close its mouth before trying to chew. The incident took place at the Taman Safari park in Bogor, Indonesia, last month, with the wildlife sanctuary condemning the incident. “This incident cannot be tolerated,” it said in a statement.
“Officers who were at the location immediately removed the plastic object from the hippo’s mouth, according to the rules and procedures at Taman Safari Indonesia.” The park has reportedly located the license plate of the tourist’s vehicle and have demanded they make a public apology. The clip has since gone viral with more than 2 million views sparking major outrage including from those in the local community.
“He should be punished by throwing trash into his mouth,” one furious person wrote on Instagram. “I hope that person and the hippo meet again some day. Hopefully in an environment more favourable to the hippo,” another wrote, while a third hopes the tourist is caught arrested.
” “That could kill the hippo!!” they wrote. One person demanded disrespe.
