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Los Angeles - Beyoncé Knowles and Jay Z have been slammed by a wildlife expert after a picture of them watching a baby tiger being fed with a bottle emerged.
Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach, a wildlife expert for animal welfare charity World Animal Protection, has hit out at the couple after the image of the pair and their two-year-old daughter Blue Ivy appeared on the fan Instagram account Beyoncé Lite.
The image was posted onto the site on Friday after the pair's outing to theme park Phuket FantaSea, part of the couple's family trip to Southeast Asia, and while no such picture appeared on Beyoncé's official Instagram account, Jan claims they have been insensitive.
He said: "A tiger is not a plaything. Their health and well-being should not be sacrificed for a photo opportunity. When you look behind the scenes, holiday snaps like these support an industry that relies on animal cruelty.
"Many tourists unwittingly contribute to the suffering of wild animals like these. They're simply not aware that their 'once in a lifetime' photo means a lifetime of misery for that animal.
"The tigers used for these photos are often crammed into tiny cages or chained to the floor for long periods. They are also forcibly removed from their mothers to be fed artificially by tourists. All in all a far cry from their natural lives in the wild. But this sordid side of tourism is conveniently hidden from public view."
Despite this, Beyoncé and Jay Z are thought to have had a "marvellous time" at the theme park spending time with the animals.
A post on the Phuket FantaSea Facebook page, complete with a picture of the couple confirms this.
Post by Phuket FantaSea.
The couple have since moved onto Cambodia and the Single Ladies hitmaker has posted a number of pictures of various scenery in the country onto her Instagram account.
