No Hong-chul clarifies his stance on animal welfare after backlash over Africa trip photos, emphasizing ethical wildlife encounters.

Talent No Hong-chul's commemorative photos taken during his trip to Africa are causing debate over potential animal abuse, prompting him to clarify his stance via social media. On the 15th, No Hong-chul stated through his social media, "Ethical Wildlife Encounters. I visited after seeing keywords like the Tanzanian government, health recovery, and release into natural habitats, but there are valuable opinions. If that is the case, I will certainly cooperate." He attached a description from a company stating, "The animals that stay in our wildlife protection area are owned by the Tanzanian government and mostly sent to us by TAWA (Tanzania Wildlife Authority) as orphans or injured. We support the treatment and training of these animals so they can return to their natural habitats managed by TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks Authority)." Previously, No Hong-chul posted a photo taken with a lion in Africa, which sparked controversy due to claims that the lion was drugged. The author of the essay "So Much Africa" recently posted on social media, "Does this lion (the one in the photo with No Hong-chul) look normal? Even if we try to express it as a fairy tale, this lion is drugged," explaining that the lion's sleepy demeanor and lack of resistance when touched were due to tranquilizers. They pointed out that such places are glamorized and hoped this abhorrent industry does not continue to thrive. No Hong-chul contacted the author who raised the issue. The author shared on social media today (16th) a photo of themselves participating in a similar program in 2016, admitting, "I was embarrassed in 2016." They continued, "This is a company that offers a program to walk with lions in Zimbabwe, bringing in wild or injured lions for treatment, deepening intimacy with humans, and allowing us to walk with lions for $150 (about 20,000 yen), claiming it helps lion conservation and the process of returning them to the wild. We believed this. We had no choice but to believe it." They explained that the reason for digging up this embarrassing past is that they were also deceived by the company's marketing and production skills. They stated that users who were deceived are also victims, having spent precious time on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa, believing they were helping lions. They expressed that No Hong-chul, who contacted them today, likely felt confused by the backlash after visiting a place he thought was ethical and good. They urged that the criticism directed at him should be aimed at the companies responsible, as he was unaware of the situation. They emphasized that this industry victimizes both the lions and the users who were deceived and called for the criticism against him to stop. On the 16th, No Hong-chul stated via social media that he inquired with the facility, local travel company, and those who posted the photos, and received responses and opinions, leading to the deletion of existing posts and new ones being published. Along with the text, he shared responses from the local travel company and operators in Africa. The company stated, "This is not true. It is misinformation. Animal medications are not sold in Tanzania. Even if an animal is injured and needs surgery, such drugs must be purchased from outside. The person who wrote this seems to know nothing about animal behavior. Lions are active only in the morning and evening, resting in the afternoon. This photo was clearly taken in the afternoon, and the lion is sleeping. In fact, if you go to see animals in the wild in the afternoon, you will mostly see them sleeping." The author who initially raised the issue sent a message to No Hong-chul, saying, "I felt very heavy-hearted seeing you receive criticism that you should not be facing. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. I have also deleted all specific information about the posts that were spread like the attacking article."