Donkey Sent Down A Zipline In Russia, Bizarre Stunt Sparks Outrage

In a bizarre incident in Russia's Republic of Dagestan, tour guides sent a donkey down a zipline over a cliff to draw tourists' attention. A video of the incident showed the animal strapped to a zipline and sent on a terrifying descent down a mountain. Laughter from onlookers echoed as the animal sped along the over 100-meter (328-foot) drop. A tour operator named Ramazan posted the footage captioned: "The donkey flew faster than an eagle!" While the video didn't show the landing, there were concerns that the donkey may have been injured upon reaching the end.

However, according to a report by RT.com, the donkey sustained no injuries and landed safely. Videos of the event spread across social media, including X, sparking outrage over the cruel stunt. After receiving a flood of hostile comments online, Ramazan deleted the video. 

Following public backlash, police investigated but could not press charges as the animal was uninjured, and it was unclear if it was traumatised. 

One user wrote, "The animal did not have a choice. Would they say the same thing if it were a 1-year-old baby?" Another commented, "Not cool. I can tell the onkey is not happy."

A third said, "This was completely unnecessary. Why torture the poor animal for social media hype?"

Meanwhile, some defended it as an effective method for transporting animals. A user suggested it was a safe way to move animals across long distances in mountainous terrain. Another supported this, noting that the significant distance and height between the locations justified the practice as a common and practical solution in such regions.

The incident echoes a similar case from 15 years ago when a donkey named Anapka was strapped to a parasail and towed 140 feet above the Azov Sea by a speedboat, sparking global outrage over the act of animal cruelty.