“Tearing lion cubs from their mothers so diners can handle them over afternoon tea is exploitation, not entertainment,” PETA said.
A restaurant in Shanxi province, northern China, is under fire after offering diners the chance to cuddle lion cubs during a four-course tea service. The controversial experience has drawn widespread condemnation online and criticism from animal welfare organizations, though the restaurant insists the cubs are well cared for.
Located in Taiyuan city, the Wanhui Restaurant, which opened in June, reportedly sells around 20 tickets per day for the experience, which is part of a set menu priced at 1,078 yuan ($150). Customers have posted videos and photos on WeChat and Weibo, showing themselves cradling lion cubs during their meal.
In a statement to Reuters, the restaurant confirmed the presence of lion cubs on-site and claimed they are “very well looked after,” with specialized carers attending to them.
While some zoos around the world—such as in Singapore or Australia—offer dining near animal enclosures, it is rare and controversial for a restaurant to allow direct physical interaction with wild animals.
In addition to the cubs, Wanhui also features llamas, turtles, and deer, according to its profile on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.
Public reaction online has been largely critical.
“This is for the rich to play,” commented one Weibo user.
Another added, “The relevant departments should take care of it.”
Jason Baker, Senior Vice President at PETA, called the practice exploitative:
“Tearing lion cubs from their mothers so diners can handle them over afternoon tea is exploitation, not entertainment. These animals are living, feeling beings, not toys,” he told Reuters.
He added that the cubs are being “treated like nothing more than social media props.”
Peter Li, China policy expert at Humane World for Animals, echoed those concerns:
“Exploiting wild animals for selfies and marketing gimmicks is not only appallingly bad animal welfare, it’s also potentially risky for customers.”
“Even a young lion is capable of lashing out and injuring a human. So, treating wild animals like props is both morally unacceptable and dangerously irresponsible.”
This incident follows a similar controversy last month, when Chinese authorities investigated a hotel in Chongqing for offering a “wake-up service” with red pandas, where guests were woken up by the animals climbing onto their beds, according to state media.