A family was confronted by Shanghai Zoo staff, who told them bottle-feeding was not allowed in the exhibit area.
Shanghai Zoo has issued a public apology after staff reprimanded a couple for bottle-feeding their 10-month-old baby in an indoor exhibition space, which has sparked widespread public backlash online.
In a statement released on June 30, Shanghai Zoo admitted that its staff had mishandled the situation. The incident occurred on June 14 when a visitor surnamed Mao and his family attempted to feed their baby with a milk bottle inside the Science and Education Hall, which was hosting an exhibit commemorating the zoo's 70th anniversary.
Zoo officials confirmed that a staff member tried to stop the family from feeding the infant in the gallery, citing concerns over food and drink near the paper-based exhibits. However, the zoo acknowledged that the staff lacked proper service awareness and failed to manage the situation appropriately, which led to a verbal altercation
Shanghai Zoo said they have communicated with Mao and apologized in person. The family has reportedly accepted the zoo's apology.
But earlier, on June 24, when Mao first contacted the zoo for an apology, he was told staff had "acted according to the rules" and that no apology was necessary. Officials also emphasized that bottle-feeding should be done in the designated nursing room located outside the zoo's main gate.
The zoo's only nursing room is located outside the zoo's main gate.
Mao shared details with Shanghai Morning Post that the family arrived at the zoo shortly before 11am, and around 15 minutes into their visit, their child showed signs of hunger. After asking a nearby security guard, they were informed that the zoo's only nursing room was located outside the main entrance, roughly a 15-minute walk away.
Given the urgency and hot weather, they headed to the nearby Science Education Hall, which was air-conditioned and relatively quiet, and attempted to feed the baby there. However, they were confronted by zoo staff, who told them bottle-feeding was not allowed in the exhibit area.
In its latest statement, Shanghai Zoo pledged to enhance staff training, improve facilities and raise awareness about hospitality and empathy.