An animal rights collective called to denounce this act. The director of the Mont Mosan park denies any case of mistreatment.
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In recent days, a video has made a lot of talk on the internet and the action takes place in Belgium, in the Mont Mosan park in Huy to be exact. On August 7, the collective “It’s enough”, engaged in the ” fight against the massacres and the captivity of cetaceans », Published these images where we see a sea lion towing children placed on a small boat using a ring placed around the neck. After being talked about in Belgium, several French media relayed the information which has gone viral.
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Half a million views
According to the Parisian, the video in question has been viewed more than 500,000 times since its publication where it was written ” Stupidity has no limits! Sea lions towing children are not fun! ». « We would like to see Mount Mosan stop this activity which contributes to the malaise of captive animals. Sea lions are sensitive beings and do not have to be tied by the neck to tow children! “, Also declared Christine Grandjean, the president of the association, in La Meuse, while specifying that” the goal is not to close the park ».
The collective had thus invited Internet users to contact the park to denounce such use of sea lions. Obviously, this appeal was even a little too sustained since a few days later, “It’s enough” communicated a second message to calm things down: ” We thank you for being courteous when it comes to calling a park. We do not condone the activities of this park but we do not condone verbal violence, contrary to our values. ».
Radically opposed points of view
Faced with this flood of criticism on Mount Mosan, the director, Jean-Marc Vanberg, was asked to respond. He indeed attests to very violent attacks against him, as he told 7sur7: ” This is raging madness! The last few days have been awful. People have no limit. I received messages of insults, death threats ».
But according to him, there is nothing shocking in the video shared by the collective. ” Sea lions are not mistreated. This activity has existed for 35 years in our park. The sea lions are not tied up, they come by themselves to find a ring connected by a wire to a small boat, they then put this ring in their mouth or around their neck “, He retorts, adding that they can let go of the ring whenever they want and that the towed weight” is not very heavy »In view of their own mass, ie 250-300 kilos for a sea lion. Jean-Marc Vanberg would consider filing a complaint against “That’s enough”.
Already in 2018, the park had attracted criticism from an association the ASBL Wolf Eyes. The latter then denounced the chlorine used in the ponds, which would cause the sea lions and seals of Mount Mosan to become blind. Already at the time, the director had denied the presence of any problem: “ It is true that there is chlorine in the ponds, but in minimal quantity. All the parks work in the same way », He then declared to the DH.
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