Ever ridden with an elephant, or got a selfie with a tiger in Bali or other animal parks? Chances are these parks are committing acts of animal cruelty and the animals are suffering in horrible conditions

Footage of workers from a Chinese theme park throwing a screaming pig wearing a cape from a bungee jump tower has gone viral, triggering outrage on social media.

Furious netizens have slammed the shocking footage, in which the pig can be heard screaming as it plummets nearly 70 metres as people watch on laughing.

Social media users have accused the Chinese theme park responsible for the sick publicity stunt as “using abuse for entertainment”. Another asked if “this counts as animal cruelty”, and another questioned if the amusement park had made any “apology for this”.

Animal cruelty is not against the law in China, but concerns about animal welfare are growing in the Asian nation, with activists placing pressure on the government to introduce legal protections for animals.

A pig was forced to bungee bungee jump off a 68-metre-high platform at a theme park. You can hear the terrified animal squealing 😪 Warning: Graphic pic.twitter.com/cirJoyfjge — news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) January 21, 2020

Meixin Red Wine Town theme park justified the incident as a publicity stunt for the opening of their new bungee attraction, with the owner telling local media outlets that they “let the pig make the first jump because pork prices have been very high this year and recently they dropped a bit”.

The amusement park changed tack after Chinese authorities, who were not aware of the stunt before it went viral, instructed the park to apologise.

The theme park responded saying, “We sincerely accept netizens’ criticism and advice and apologise to the public,” it said.

“We will improve (our) marketing of the tourist site to provide tourists with better services.”

Animal rights group PETA blasted the incident, telling the BBC, “ … pigs experience pain and fear in the same ways that we do”, condemning the PR stunt as “disgusting” and saying it “should be illegal”.

Jacqueline Mills, Head of Campaigns, Farming at World Animal Protection also told the BBC that “pigs are highly intelligent and sentient creatures, sensitive to their surroundings and human handling”.

“This pig couldn’t even move afterwards, suggesting it was left extremely traumatised and potentially injured and in physical pain,” she said.

Ms Mills also dubbed the stunt a “sickening act of cruelty”.

It is understood the terrified pig was taken to a slaughterhouse after the bungee jump debacle.