Santhanam shares video of himself with tiger at petting zoo, gets called out on Twitter for 'encouraging animal abuse'

Actor Santhanam has stirred up a storm on social media with his latest post. The actor, known for his work in Tamil films and TV shows, shared a video on Christmas where he was petting a tiger at a petting zoo somewhere overseas. The video has resulted in many of his followers and Twitter users criticising the actor for promoting ‘animal abuse’.

Taking to his official Twitter account on Sunday, Santhanam shared the video that showed him – dressed in casual t-shirt and shorts – sitting next to a sedated tiger. He held the tiger’s tail in his hand, following which a zoo attendant poked the animal on his head to wake him up. Along with a caption in Tamil where he asked fans if they liked the video, he added hashtags ‘Tiger love’ and ‘travel diaries’. The actor did not specify where the video was shot though.

Soon after, several Twitter users criticised the actor for promoting petting zoos, which have been called out for being cruel to animals. One user tweeted, “What is funny about poking a drugged and sleeping animal on the head bro?” Another wrote, “What kind of irresponsible behaviour is this? Do you realise you are encouraging animal abuse.” Taking a dig at the actor’s caption, one user replied, “More like tigerhate, sorry to say. Please take some time to understand what ‘responsible tourism‘ means so that you can enjoy your travels in a more responsible and sustainable manner.”

Santhanam has not responded to any of these comments so far. Petting zoos like the one the actor went to are common in south east Asia. These places have been criticised by animal activists for drugging animals in order to entertain tourists and earn money. Several countries have banned petting zoos as well.

Santhanam was last seen on screen in the Tamil film Agent Kannayiram, which also starred Riya Suman. The mystery comedy thriller, directed by Manoj Beedha, was released in theatres on November 25. After negative reviews, it earned just around Rs 1.25 crore at the box office.