A father who put his 9-year-old daughter into a cage with two wolves as part of a bizarre stage show claims it was to build her courage, Urumqi Evening News reported Thursday.

Zhu Yongsheng put his daughter Zhu Lin into the cage with two of the world's most dangerous animals as part of a pet show in Urumqi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Zhu Lin, dressed in army fatigues, touches the wolves while locked in the cage in front of the audience. The photo has sparked outrage online.

Zhu Lin, 9, touches a wolf in a cage at a pet fair in Urumqi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [Photo/chinanews.com]

"Some people say I am cruel to my daughter, but I just want to make her strong," said her father who is the manager of a training base for dogs and wolves in Urumqi.

He claims Zhu Lin has trained more than ten dogs and four wolves since she was three years old.

Most commenting online criticized the father saying he was putting his daughter's life in danger.

"It is inadvisable to use such extreme parenting methods, and parents should educate children according to their mental and physical condition," said Xu Fei, a teacher from School of Psychology in Xinjiang Normal University.