Australian influencer Rory Eliza has shared a tearful video a couple of “cruel” tourist activity in Thailand, warning others to not make the error of participating like she did.
The 21-year-old, who has 6.9 million followers on TikTok, said she desired to hold a monkey while holidaying in Phuket and asked around where she could find this experience.
She said one travel guide avoided the query, while one other really useful a spot.
Eliza said she needed to pay an entry fee before having access to the “Monkey Show” and once the doors opened she was in shock.
“In case you’re in Thailand, Phuket don’t pay for this, don’t support this,” she pleaded within the clip that has been viewed 6.7 million times in 4 days.
“I wish I knew before I walked in because I spent money supporting this cruelty.”
“It’s so cruel. I held this baby monkey in my arms and the thing was absolutely petrified.”
A video of Eliza’s experience showed a small monkey with a collar around its neck and metal chain being pulled by an unidentified man.
“Each time the guy got here to take the monkey off me, the child just sat their screaming and hissing. And each time he pulled the chain around this baby’s neck, the child would just hug me tighter,” she said.
Eliza pleaded with others to not pay for some of these experiences.
“I wish I knew. And as I used to be walking out they said ‘are you able to give us money to look after the monkeys and help support us’ and I said ‘absolutely not, I don’t support anything you’re doing here’,” she recalled.
She said she left in “absolute tears.”
The young woman later shared her video to Instagram where she wrote an prolonged caption calling for the “repulsive, disgusting” activity to finish.
“All I desired to do was hold a monkey like I saw on TikTok,” she said.
“But I learned the hard way. I had never been to Thailand before and was completely unaware.”
Many individuals thanked Eliza for speaking out, but others criticized her for not doing research beforehand.
“Thanks SO much. I’m going to Phuket and I used to be going to do that I had NO idea what poor babies [go through], definitely changing plans,” wrote one person.
“Thanks a lot for posting this. I’m in tears. I’m going to Thailand in a few weeks and was going to carry a monkey, but I definitely won’t now!” one other said.
“Okay but what made you’re thinking that paying to carry an animal was right in the primary place …” criticized one person.
“SO you paid to carry a wild monkey and didn’t think that was abuse in itself too?” added one other.
News.com.au has contacted Eliza through her management for further comment.
