England and Chelsea ace Ben Chilwell, 25, slated by animal welfare charities after taking part in a tug-of-war against a TIGER
- The defender was seen playing tug of war with the tiger at a zoo in the US
- The incident took place at SeaWorld’s Busch Gardens zoo, in Tampa Bay, Florida
- RSPCA said the tug of war ‘should not be marketed for public entertainment’
- Chilwell, who earns £190,000 per week, sustained a knee injury in November
- Chelsea refused to comment on whether the move may have impacted his return
- It comes after West Ham defender Kurt Zouma was fined £250,000 for abusing his cats
Chelsea and England left back Ben Chilwell has copped flak from animal rights chiefs after engaging in a tug of war with a tiger at a theme park in Florida.
The star defender, 25, is currently nursing a knee injury, but was captured on social media tussling with the tiger who had the meat-covered rope clamped between its jaws.
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A source, who shared the video with The Sun, said: ‘It’s animal abuse. They’re not treating the tiger with respect. It’s just fun to them.’
An RSPCA spokesperson meanwhile announced the organisation does not condone Chilwell’s actions.
‘We don’t feel this activity promotes respect for these wild animals and should not be marketed for public entertainment,’ the statement said.
‘Zoos often state that their aim is to educate the public… there are many alternative ways of doing this.’
Chilwell, who earns a reported £190,000 per week at Chelsea, has been out of action since November after suffering a knee injury, and was caught on camera during a holiday in the US.
The incident took place at Busch Gardens zoo, in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Chelsea declined to comment on the incident, according to The Sun, and refused to speculate whether the poorly-considered tug of war could have set back his recovery.
Chelsea and England left back Ben Chilwell has copped flak from animal rights chiefs after engaging in a tug of war with a tiger at a theme park in Florida
The star defender, 25, is currently nursing a knee injury, but was captured on social media tussling with the tiger who had the meat-covered rope clamped between its jaws. The incident took place at Busch Gardens zoo, in Tampa Bay, Florida
The video of Chilwell comes months after West Ham defender and former Chelsea player Kurt Zouma was filmed abusing his cat
Busch Gardens has long operated the ‘Tiger Tug’ attraction, which invites people to test their strength against a big cat thought to weigh around 20 stone.
The park is home to several big cats, and the attraction has been visited on multiple occasions by other famous sports stars, including NASCAR driver and Daytona 500 race winner Matt Kenseth.
Chilwell’s team have not yet responded to request for comment, according to The Sun.
The incident comes months after West Ham United and former Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma was fined £250,000 for abusing his cat.
The footage, which was filmed by Zouma’s brother and shared widely online after it emerged, caused a major outcry and calls for the defender to be banned.
His club also announced earlier this week it would donate a considerable sum to several animal welfare charities in the wake of the backlash.
Both Kurt and Yoan Zouma are now being prosecuted by the RSPCA under the Animal Welfare Act, after the 27-year-old was filmed kicking and slapping one of two pet cats, which have both been taken into RSPCA care.
Chilwell, who earns a reported £190,000 per week at Chelsea, has been out of action since November after suffering a knee injury, and was caught on camera during a holiday in the US (Chilwell pictured left with Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel right)
A tiger at Busch Gardens takes part in a tug of war contest with visitors
Pulling teeth: NASCAR motor racing driver Matt Kenseth tries to hang on
Chilwell is unlikely to face a similar fate, as the incident took place at an attended public attraction and did not appear to injure the tiger in any way.
The tiger, which is kept in a fenced-off enclosure, was seen pulling on the rope which had been covered in hunks of meat by the zoo’s caretakers, but did not appear to have been forced into the act.
The Busch Gardens zoo is operated by SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment and has been in operation since 1958.