PETA slams Justin Bieber over photo with chained tiger

POP Singer Justin Bieber’s photo with a chained tiger at a private event has landed him in hot water with animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

The photo posted on the singer's Instagram account on April 30 showed Bieber posing next to a tiger that was brought in to a party hosted by his father in Toronto, Canada.

PETA, in a statement on their website, not only slammed the action of having a tiger at a private event, but also said the tiger in Bieber's photo is from a zoo in which the owner was recently charged with cruelty to animals.

"What Justin and other party guests probably don't know is that Michael Hackenberger, the owner of that zoo, was recently charged with five counts of cruelty to animals because of PETA's undercover footage, which shows him viciously whipping a young tiger during a 'training' session and then bragging about it," said the statement.

A photo posted by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on
Apr 30, 2016 at 4:05pm PDT

It continued to say that exotic animals used for entertainment were usually beaten into submission by trainers and forced to live in cramped enclosures.

"Justin and other guests are lucky that they weren't attacked by the wild animals.

"In similar situations, animals have been known to lash out because of the stress of their miserable lives," it said.

PETA also encouraged the public not to support events or parties where animals are used as entertainment.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a letter has been sent to both Bieber and his manager, Scooter Braun.

Apart from PETA, another organisation – World Animal Protection – also criticised Bieber's action.

"Show business is no business for wild animals — it's disappointing to see another celebrity posing for a wild animal selfie," the organisation told The Huffington Post.