Zoo trainer beat sea lion for photos, report says

A trainer at Zhengzhou Zoo who beat a sea lion with a stick on Sunday upset some visiting children, according to the Dahe Daily.

The trainer and photographer were busy arranging children to have their photographs individually taken, for a charge of 20 yuan ($3.3), with a sea lion on Sunday, at the zoo, in Henan province.

The sea lion seemed impatient as it had to pose for the camera repeatedly. To everyone's surprise, the keeper started to hit it with a white plastic stick. The kids became upset and left with their parents.

The photographer told the newspaper the 4-year-old sea lion had been in the zoo for three years.

According to the newspaper, the sea lion had to pose with about 100 tourists in the morning for photos. If it misbehaved, the photographer is out of pocket to the tune of 20 yuan.

According to a guideline on the development of zoos released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development earlier this month, a ban has been imposed on forcing animals to perform.