Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey has been hit with an onslaught of backlash from fans after posting photos 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.
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.
SEE INSTAGRAM POST BELOW:
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 away 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, with them 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.
One person penned: “This is so dangerous for wildlife conservation. Wildlife interactions should not be encouraged and promoted. These animals have most likely experienced abuse, high levels of stress and anxiety, and will most likely live a long unhappy life in captivity. Why not rather view them in their natural habitats and promote ecotourism that is ethical and doesn’t impact their lives in such a way.”
Another added: “NEVER USE ANIMALS FOR ENTERTAINMENT LIKE THIS. NEVER PROMOTE IT! Halle Bailey, please, you should know better.”
While a third person wrote: “I can’t believe this post is still up. Clearly she does not care one bit. I was really looking forward to seeing The Little Mermaid, now I won’t be watching – I refuse to support someone who exploits wild animals in this way. @disney do you have anything to say?”
Many fans expressed their disappointment in the young actress and urged her to take the photos down, but there were many others who defended the Little Mermaid starlet.
“Maybe she was unaware? These comments are aggravating. I hate this generation and I hate social media,” penned one, in Halle’s defense.
Animals in zoos live long peaceful lives… animals in the wild get eaten alive…
I don’t know that the zoo hadn’t had screened (at least asked) her for health or other concerns, required the same precautions their own people follow, and supervised her carefully with the least sensitive animals before allowing access to the more sensitive.
If they did…well zoos also support species preservation, and do need some level of funding; and the entertainment business includes mutual promotion opportunities.
I thought the original controversy that she was the incidental element of (diversifying a story of Danish origin, where diversity was not a likely natural attribute in the original story, simply to satisfy the modern equivalent of Bowdlerization) was slightly valid although at best often described in a hostile manner. But this is just piling on unless one can point to a very specific abuse.
IMO it goes to show that left-leaning ideologues, whether those desiring hyper-inclusiveness of all human variety (other than those who disagree with them) or the more radical animal rights supporters or some other faction, will quickly turn on each other when their different favorite obsessions come into conflict.