WATCH: Crawfish Claw Machine at Beijing Mall Sparks Outrage

原创 Kyle M. theBeijinger

Claw machines are usually a fun way to snag cutesy toys and other wholesome prizes, but one such device at a Shuangjing shopping center has prompted ire for it's more macabre prizes. That’s because the machine, located at the Hopson One Mall and apparently sponsored by Jingdong, has turned its claw on crawfish, with users (many of them children) jostling to catch the hapless creatures, one by one.

A video of the crawfish-stuffed machines was shot by a True Run Media (the Beijinger’s parent company) staff member who happened to be walking by and spotted the peculiar scene. After posting the clip on his WeChat moments, and giving it an angry caption, other users in his network posted equally outraged comments. You can watch the video below.

When asked why their machines were being used for such end, a spokesperson for the Chinese e-commerce giant Jingdong told the Beijinger, “It looks like a partner did it without checking with us. We are looking into how they were able to do it and if it’s still in place. Obviously, we are putting an end to it and taking steps against the relevant party.”

It's not quite Guijie

While the Beijinger had no luck reaching a spokesperson at the Hopson Mall for comment before press time, several prominent local animal welfare activists had plenty to say about the claw machines after seeing the clip. Irene Zhang, a campaigner at the Humane Society International in Beijing, says crawfish are accustomed to dark moist places, and that they are sensitive to lights. “It looks like, from the video, that there’s no water in the machines, and it’s in an open area with bright lights. So that machine is not suitable for crawfish to live in.”

Meanwhile, Sascha Su, a spokesperson for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) Asia, says many viewers of the clip might shrug off the treatment of these creatures, and would instead be more prone to empathize with the plight of endangered elephants, pandas, or other animals. Despite that, Su insists that the Hopson Mall scene should not be disregarded because “science shows that they have central nervous systems and that they feel every bit of pain when they’re hurt. Like humans, they carry their young for nine months … Just because we can’t hear their screams when they’re in pain, doesn’t mean that they feel it any less than we do.”

Just because we can’t hear their screams when they’re in pain, doesn’t mean that they feel it any less than we do.

Su was also quick to point to a broader moral issue in regards to these sea creatures in the claw machines, saying, “Animals are not ours for entertainment. Games like this make people think that animal abuse is acceptable; they should be banned by the commercial legislation department.”

Zhang, meanwhile says if viewers are quick to dismiss the clip on animal welfare grounds, they should at least consider the implications for the humans involved. She says, “I don’t know how long the crawfish are kept in there, but I guess they will die soon. And if they are picked for eating, a dead crawfish could be dangerous to human health.”

Regardless of whether the video sparks outrage of apathy among most viewers, Zhang says there could very well be no way to change the situation, at least not from a legal standpoint, saying, “Since there is no law protecting animals in China, you can only say that it’s immoral from an ethical point of view.”

Since there is no law protecting animals in China, you can only say that it’s immoral from an ethical point of view.

Another crawfish went viral earlier this month when it amputated its own claw as a means to escape being thrown into a bubbling cauldron of oil at a hotpot restaurant.

Photo and video: True Run Media, Tracy Wang