China’s aquariums utilise robotic whales to reduce the costs associated with keeping live animals. - Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo
BEIJING (SCMP): An aquarium in southern China has come under scrutiny for showcasing a robotic whale shark instead of a live one, igniting passionate debates around animal welfare and consumer rights.
Videos circulating online depict a life-size robotic whale shark gliding through the waters of Xiaomeisha Sea World in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, following its reopening in October.
