Human vs beast

Dartmoor Zoo has had some bad publicity in the past, but it appears its latest idea is definitely not one of the most popular.

Dartmoor Zoo launched its ‘human v beast’ challenge earlier this month, which sees four people being pitted against one of its big cats in an activity that zoo keepers have said the animals find ‘enriching’. And those people can be children as young as eight years old.

The experience at the zoo costs £15 per person and is described by the zoo keepers as vital to the animal’s welfare. A zoo keeper in an advertising video says that ‘this type of enrichment is very important to keep the cats fit and healthy’.

However, animal rights groups have spoken out against the zoo and have said the experience has ‘no respect for the animals’, while others have called the organisers ‘morons’.