Viral Videos of Park Visitors Squatting and Posing on a Live Tortoise Spark Outrage

A viral video shows theme park visitors in China standing on a tortoise, sparking outrage and changes to the park's policies

Experts warn tortoise shells are living tissue and can sustain hidden injuries despite appearing unharmed

Similar incidents of animal mistreatment at parks and zoos have drawn public condemnation and legal consequences

A viral video showing theme park visitors standing on a live tortoise has sparked widespread outrage and prompted the park to crack down on animal mistreatment.

The footage, filmed in August at Changlu Tourism and Leisure Park in Guangdong Province, China, and obtained by Newsflare, shows a guest stepping onto a tortoise's back and squatting on the reptile while holding a child. The incident occurred in the park's designated animal-experience area, despite signage instructing visitors not to sit or stand on the animals.

In the clip, the tortoise appears to struggle under the added weight. Amid growing outrage over the video, the park said it would implement new blacklisting policies to prevent animal cruelty, according to Newsflare. The park told the outlet that a veterinarian examined the tortoise after the recorded incident and found it in good health.

While a shell may look like sturdy armor, experts note it is far more vulnerable than it appears. According to Spruce Pets , a tortoise's shell is living tissue fused to its skeleton, and pressure from being stepped on can cause severe fractures that aren't visible from the outside. That means an animal can appear unharmed while having sustained serious damage.

The incident is only the latest example of park and zoo visitors mishandling animals in ways that draw public condemnation.

In March 2025, a man was arrested after climbing into the enclosure of Moo Deng, the viral pygmy hippo, at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand, as PEOPLE previously reported. Security footage showed the intruder taking photos before climbing back out. The zoo confirmed that Moo Deng and her mother, Jona, were unharmed, and police charged the man with trespassing.

Other cases have ended far more dangerously for the person involved. In April 2025, a 29-year-old man visiting a zoo in the Philippines climbed into a crocodile enclosure to pose for photos because he believed the animal was fake, PEOPLE previously reported.

The crocodile, a female named Lalay, bit down on his arm and dragged him through the shallow water as onlookers screamed. A zookeeper eventually struck the animal with a piece of concrete to free the man, who later received more than 50 stitches.