Watch_ Monkeys Forced to Perform in Circus on Nature Reserve

You might not expect to see animals being forced to perform circus tricks when visiting a nature reserve. But that's what is happening at Vietnam's Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve. The welfare group Animals Asia has released this footage showing macaques walking across tight ropes, catching rings, and performing other tricks at the direction of their trainers. Dogs have also been seen being forced to jump through flaming hula hoops. The welfare group notes that performing monkeys often face often face poor living conditions and abuse behind the scenes. The park, also known as "Monkey Island," has been designated by UNESCO, a United Nations agency, as a biosphere reserve for demonstrating a “balanced relationship between humans and the biosphere." Animals Asia argues that the animal performances go against the meaning of the reserve and has called for the circus to be shut down.