TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese netizens are outraged after video surfaced on Sunday (Aug. 2) showing a claw machine player trying to grab a live parrot trapped inside the game.
On Sunday, a member of the parrot enthusiast Facebook page "Only1 Parrot Hugs ~ Bird Lover's Group" (ONLY1 鸚鵡抱抱～愛鳥的社團) posted a video showing a frightened parrot trying to avoid being grabbed by a claw while trapped inside a crane game. Above the video, the Facebook user condemned the "disgusting behavior" of the claw machine player and called on the public to help identify the crane game arcade and rescue the bird.
In the 28-second video, a live golden parakeet can be seen trapped inside a tiny vending machine game that would usually contain stuffed animals and various other inanimate trinkets the players would try to pluck out with a metal claw. In the video of the incident, the bird manages to dodge the claw on the first attempt.
Parrot trying to fly away from claw. (Facebook, ONLY1 鸚鵡抱抱～愛鳥的社團)
On the second try, the bird is backed into a corner and desperately tries to fly away and smashes into the glass case. The cruel player can then be heard laughing maniacally at the hapless creature.
The video ends with the claw crane player taking one last shot at the parrot and giggling as it cowers to the side. Enraged netizens tried calling the number listed on the machine, but the owner denied placing a parrot in the device and would not disclose the game's location.
A number of netizens who left comments below the video stated that the arcade is in Kaohsiung. Such abuse of an animal by the game's owner and customers could be considered a violation of Article 6 of the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法), and violators could face up to two years in prison or fines ranging between NT$200,000 (US$6,800) and NT$2 million.
