'Little Mermaid' actress Halle Bailey draws flak for posing with wild animals at zoo

Actress Halle Bailey who is playing the Princess Ariel in the upcoming film 'Little Mermaid' has been slammed for posing for photos with animals at a zoo, recently.

Apparently, many people were 'disappointed' with her latest Instagram posts, where she can be seen cuddling and playing with a tiger cub and orangutan. Netizens claimed that such animals are subject to cruelty and photos with them in such enclosures should not be encouraged.

Though the 23-year-old Atlanta-born actress has not revealed the name of the place, many are assuming the pictures were taken at Safari World in Bangkok.

Though many have accused the actress of supporting animal cruelty, others were quick to come to her defense.

Meanwhile, non-profit organisation PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) commented on the photo, writing: "We know you love animals, but supporting cruel attractions like this is hurting them."More than half a million exotic animals are exploited worldwide in the tourism industry - many torn away from their families, exploited for photo ops and condemned to a lifetime of suffering.

It's up to all of us tourists to stop funding places that are exploiting them for profit and continuing this cycle of abuse. Please keep animals out of your future travel plans.”

(with IANS inputs)