A cafe in Istanbul, Turkey, was slammed by social media users for keeping a lion in a narrow glass corridor for customers to watch while they enjoyed drinks and their meal. A video and photo of the big cat in glass case was shared online.

In the footage, the lion is seen constantly pacing to and fro in the little space, which is less than a metre wide. The lion, which looked thin and appeared to be young, watched as customers sat on sofas and drank or sat at tables to eat.

The café, Mevzoo, also has other animals including a crocodile, horses and birds, operating as an “animal rehabilitation centre.”

One Facebook user said customers were able to feed the lion through small holes in the window.

Harika Timur wrote: “Is this a joke? What is called humanity is maybe not a good word as we think.”

Another user wrote: "There is no end to how low the human species will go to entertain themselves. They NEVER show compassion for any animal. In their warped minds animals have no purpose except to serve man. In so many places, animals do not have happy lives.The lion at this cafe needs to be free!"

Zoe Youngster on Twitter condemned it as “disgusting exploitation.”

Oytun Okan Senel, president of the Turkish Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons, condemned the cafe's decision to keep the lion: He wrote on Twitter: “In the middle of Istanbul, the humiliation! Animal abuse in the 'rehabilitation centre' decorated hookah café.”

Turkish media said the cafe, which has a licence as a “tourism-related zoo and animal-rehabilitation centre,” also has 35 rabbits, several flamingos, four snakes, four horses, two parrots, two crocodiles and an iguana.

After images of the animals circulated on social media, the Turkish Ministry of Forest and Water Management launched an investigation. More than 2,700 people signed a petition against the cafe's keeping the animals confined.