Surrounded by Hot Lights and Panoramic Windows, Endangered Polar Bear Becomes a 'Spectacle'... Controversy Over Animal Exploitation at Chinese Hotel

On the 12th, polar bears were confined inside a cage installed indoors at a hotel that opened on the same day in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China, and guests were watching them. [AFP=Yonhap News] / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] A hotel in Harbin, China, is causing controversy for confining polar bears indoors and promoting that guests can view the polar bears 24 hours a day.

On the 13th, AFP reported that this hotel, opened at the famous tourist spot 'Harbin Polarland,' created an enclosure like a cage indoors to confine the polar bears.

The hotel advertises itself as the "world's first polar bear hotel," allowing guests to watch polar bears from their rooms 24 hours a day.

However, because of this, the polar bears must remain under hot lighting 24 hours a day.

Polar bears are currently protected species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). They are classified as Vulnerable (VU) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a population of about 26,000.

Jason Baker, Vice President of the Asia branch of the international animal rights organization PETA, stated, "Polar bears belong in the Arctic, not in zoo or aquarium glass enclosures," and added, "They definitely should not be kept in a hotel."

Animal protection groups also criticized the hotel, saying, "They are making money from the suffering of animals." Chinese netizens responded with comments such as "This is outdated behavior" and "The polar bears are so pitiful."

On the 12th, polar bears were confined in cages installed inside a hotel that opened on the same day in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China, and guests were watching them. [AFP=Yonhap News] / Photo by Yonhap News

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