Chinese tourism board criticised for animal cruelty after pushing pigs off bridge

Animals were herded onto a small bridge and then pushed off with a stick

A Chinese tourism board has made pigs fly.

The animals, each with a bright number painted on its side, were herded onto a ramshackle bridge overhanging Shiyan Lake in the popular tourist province of Changsha and pushed off.

Online users have been upset by the “cruel” stunt, organised by Shi Huang as part of local May Day celebrations, with many criticising the event after photos were published on state broadcaster CCTV’s Facebook page.

Posted by CCTVNews on Sunday, May 3, 2015

Posted by CCTVNews on Sunday, May 3, 2015

Posted by CCTVNews on Sunday, May 3, 2015

“They look like they were pushed not jumping through choice. Cruel,” wrote Hayley McDonough.

Another user, Kay Khine S L, wrote: “This is animal abuse!” Jo Metcalfe added: “This is beyond sick. What did these sentient beings do, to deserve such punishment”?

Organiser Mr Huang, who plans to make the event weekly despite reports that the local tourism board received complaints, claims the piglets are “carefully trained” to perform the “special stunt”.

He continued: “They get well rewarded with food and once they get over their nerves they clearly enjoyed it.

“Anybody who says it is cruel is clearly not well informed that pigs like water,” he told the Mail Online.