Video of bicycle-riding bear and monkey sparks anger

A viral video of a bear attacking a monkey after the two fell off their bicycles at a Chinese zoo has sparked outrage among animal rights activists, but an official on Friday defended the show.

A minute-and-a-half long video surfaced this week showing the bear biting and clawing the monkey after a mock race at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park.

Keepers then pull and beat the bear with wooden sticks, prompting it to eventually release the monkey.
"The performance is pure mistreatment," Zhang Dan, co-founder of the China Animal Protection Media Saloon, was quoted as saying by the China Daily newspaper on Friday.

"It goes totally against the nature of the animal. But they cannot speak for themselves about their fear, pain, or unwillingness."

The Shanghai park has previously locked horns with activists over performances featuring animals, including acts such as monkeys climbing poles and elephants playing football.