Foolish bravery, fatal consequences: Zoo recklessness endangers all

A video has gone viral recently showing that two cars scraped against each other at Qinhuangdao Wildlife Zoo in Hebei Province. The occupants got out and began arguing, while two Bengal tigers approached from just a few meters away on the other side of a fence.

The person filming sounded the horn to warn them. Once they climbed back into their cars and drove off, the tigers chased them for a short while. Fortunately, there were zoo staff patrolling nearby, and the tourists ended up leaving the beast area safe and sound.

Sadly, not everyone has been so lucky. Back in August 2015, at the very same zoo, a tiger attacked a woman who'd stepped out of her vehicle. Even though she received emergency medical treatment, she didn't survive her injuries.

After the recent incident, the zoo authorities stressed that although an electric fence protected vehicles from the animals, visitors are strictly prohibited from disembarking or opening the windows of the cars.

When regulating such behavior, we typically prioritize the perceived human "victims" over the wild animals, but it's time to shift our focus to the potential impacts on wildlife.

In the cases above, for instance, the tigers might show signs of stress or changes in feeding behavior.

These reckless visitors jeopardize both other guests and the animal in question. When they recklessly put themselves at the mercy of ferocious creatures, they force a terrible choice – if the animal attacks, it could be put down to rescue the person.

Nor are fatal incidents like these the only instances of misconduct that warrant regulatory scrutiny and correction.

Indeed, this case – along with a spate of others – has sparked media debate over whether visitors guilty of a range of public-place misdemeanors, be it at a zoo or other tourist attraction, should be blacklisted to bar them from entering similar venues nationwide.

In May, Chongqing Zoo released a list of 36 visitors found guilty of misconduct, banning them from entry.

Such a measure carries even more weight in Yanqing District, Beijing, where offenders face bans from all 12 of the district's scenic spots.

Yet there are moments when tackling such misbehavior calls for drastic action.

Take the endless issue of carving on relics: despite ubiquitous warnings against marking historical artifacts, graffiti like "so-and-so was here" still plagues some scenic spots.

Apparently, tackling such a chronic issue calls for ingenuity.

This year over the May Day break, five visitors got five days in detention plus a 200-yuan fine (US$28) for carving on the Great Wall.