Khloe Kardashian angered animal rights campaigners when she posted a selfie with a pet baby tiger while on a visit to Dubai.
The reality television star posted an Instagram picture on Wednesday alongside a cub inside what appears to be a living room.
One of the advocates aggravated by the Kardashian’s stunt is Silia Smith of World Animal Protection.
“We’re disappointed to see yet another celebrity posing with a wild animal. Tiger cubs belong in the wild, with their mothers – not in captivity for use as entertainment or photo props,” Smith said in a statement.
Wildlife expert Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach explained that such holiday snaps support an industry that relies on animal cruelty.
Another source angered over the incident is non-profit corporation PETA.
“Baby tigers propped up for photo ops are typically torn away from their mothers, violently beaten by trainers, and deprived of everything natural and important to them. The issues facing exotic animals aren’t limited to Dubai, of course,” said PETA’s Associate Director Elisa Allen.
“We know Khloe has a huge heart for animals, so we’ll reach out to her with information most people don’t know about these sweet baby tigers and the other animals in zoos,” added Allen.
During her visit to Dubai, Kardashian posted several pictures with a number of animals, including a giraffe, an endangered orang-utan, and a stingray.
The star was staying at the underwater suite at the Atlantis the Palm hotel, where her room cost roughly AED 30,000 a night.
In the course of her stay, the Kardashian upset another group online when she posted a selfie wearing a traditional Muslim hijab, which some considered disrespectful.
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