A baby lion cub in Korea engages in tug game with a keeper as visitors watch in fascination from behind the fence. Courtesy of Animal Welfare Research Institute Aware

Calls are growing to end direct contact animal experiences at zoos across Korea, as new findings show many facilities continue to defy a legal ban on riding, touching and feeding animals more than two years after it took effect.

Animal welfare advocates and lawmakers said the gap between the law and practice is exposing animals to chronic stress and sending the wrong message to children about wildlife.

At a National Assembly forum Monday, Animal Welfare Research Institute AWARE and the Animal Welfare Parliamentary Forum presented findings from an eight-month survey of 21 registered or licensed zoos and nine unlicensed facilities across the country. The study reviewed compliance with the revised Act on the Management of Zoos and Aquariums, which since late 2023 has prohibited zoos from allowing visitors to climb on, touch or feed animals for entertainment purposes.

Despite the legal shift, 20 out of 21 surveyed zoos were still selling feed for animal encounters, and 15 imposed no limits on purchase frequency or feeding volume. In 18 facilities, visitors could touch animals at any time without guidance from keepers, according to AWARE.

Lee Hyung-joo, head of AWARE, said such conditions fuel competition and aggression among animals and undermine their welfare.

“We confirmed cases where certain individuals monopolized food and where competition and aggression between animals intensified,” Lee said, adding that these counters “clearly contradict the purpose of the law.”

This combined photo shows visitors petting wild animals at zoos in Korea. Courtesy of Animal Welfare Research Institute Aware

Education was often used as a justification, but rarely delivered on practice. “Our survey found that only three facilities offered even a single species-specific explanation on conservation,” Lee noted. “Some even described animals as ‘beginner species for rare animal keeping’ or ‘easy-to-raise animals,’ effectively encouraging people to keep wild animals at home.”

Unlicensed or partially licensed businesses were found to be exploiting loopholes.

Source: Korea Times News