Mark Leong
United States of America
Mark Leong's Image
Every day, animals at the Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Park of Guilin, Guangxi, China, perform in circus-style shows - an easily accessible tourist attraction near the city's airport.
The park, which owns more than 400 bears and 1300 tigers, claims to be working for conservation by keeping them safe in captivity. But it has also lobbied for lifting regulations on the tiger-trade ban, especially when it comes to tiger-bone wine (the park has an attached distillery). DNA tests on food from the park restaurant subsequently revealed that it was illegally serving tiger meat. 'There has been speculation that some so-called zoos or parks may be stockpiling animals in anticipation of a change in the law, which would allow them to utilize captive-bred tigers legally,' says Mark.
Behind the lens
Image details
- Nikon D2x
- 17-35mm f2.8 lens
- 1/50 sec at f3.2
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