Natural lessons

Although happy about the ban, animal rights campaigners are now urging authorities to further crackdown on wildlife performances through education.

A lioness inside one of the enclosures at Zhengzhou Zoo, where animal shows have been a big draw.

"When people's awareness on animal protection increases, they will be less interested in shows that harm animals," said HuaNing, China program director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Xiamen AnimalProtection Association is also compiling China's first textbook on animal protection, which will be distributed among elementary and middle schools throughout the city on the coast of Fujian province.

After visiting Dalian Zoo in Northeast China's Liaoning province, Xiao Bing, the Xiamen group's chairman, said he was ignored when he complained about employees selling live chickens for visitors to feed the tigers, a practice that is already prohibited.

"The food for these animals is not enough and that's why we have seen more incidents of zoo animals attacking people in recent years. Keeping the beasts hungry will only make them more likely to attack," said Xiao.

China still does not have any laws on animal welfare. A draft of the Animal Protection Law was released in September 2009 but is still under consideration.

The Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens' 10-year development guide for zoos is also still in the design stage.

In the meantime, program director Liu said the new regulations will be the "first step" in guiding the country's zoos back to their original purpose: teaching people about the wonders of nature.

"We have to stop these bad things (like live shows) first and then we'll be free to do more things," he said. "Otherwise, all we'll be doing is putting out fires."