25 January 2023 , 13:17
646
0
Jesy Nelson has sparked a social media backlash after sharing a video of a "hungry" tiger attempting to lunge at her.
The former Little Mix songstress, 31, got up close and personal with the big cat during a recent visit to a safari park which offers guests the opportunity to stay in a luxury cabin within the tiger enclosure.
Port Lympne Safari allows guests to throw themselves into the middle of certain enclosures while remaining protected to ensure they get the most exclusive experience.
But as Jesy took to social media to share a video of the orange animal, fans were quick to criticise her for sharing the clip.
Jesy Nelson was seen getting up close and personal with tigers (jesynelson/Instagram)
The singer was enjoying a romantic night at a Kent safari park (jesynelson/Instagram)In the video shared with her 9.3 million followers, the former X Factor star was seen placing her hand on the protective glass before laughing, when the tiger lunges up towards here – leaving Jesy to jump back in shock.
X Factor's Honey G spills on strict fitness regime after two stone weight loss
Captioning her upload, she penned: "Someone was hungry," but didn't anticipate the response from her followers.
"Ah that poor tiger stressed if jumping like that," commented one follower.
Before a second echoed: "Behind the glass cage for everyone to stare at and tease. Nothing to do with the people staying there it's the animals," said a second.
"Poor animal," typed another.
Jesy was seen jumping back as the big cat lunged up against the glass (jesynelson/Instagram)
Jesy was slammed by social media users for sharing the clip (INSTAGRAM)Before a fourth person went on to say: "I don't know. I have the feeling that this isn't alright."
The enclosure is over an acre in size, so lots of room for the tigers to roam and the enclosure that the two tigers have access to at all times – which is off show to the public.
The safari park have stressed the tiger is not distressed and the response is playful.
However, some went on to state that the animal was attempting to play with Jesy, with one person writing: "Tiger wasn’t showing signs of stress or aggression here, it was actually showing signs of play (they jump and paw at each other like that when playing with other tigers) and affection."
"They live in a 600-acre park, the tiger isn't stressed lol," added a second.
The enclosure at the park is over an acre in size, meaning that the tigers have plenty of room to roam freely, while there are only two glass fronts for guests, meaning that the rest of the enclosure is filled with plants.
X Factor star's dramatic transformation after incredible 4stone weight loss
Some users have defended Jesy, explaining that the tiger was displaying a playful attitude (PA)Meanwhile, the two tigers in the enclosure have constant access to two large sheds which are out of view of the public,
Jesy's outing comes just days after the star stepped out on a date night with her new boyfriend, Zion Foster and left very little to the imagination wearing a "naked dress".
The pair dined out at the swanky Japanese restaurant Aqua Kyoto in London while the Bad Boyz hitmaker rocked a skin-tight black dress which featured a full-length motif of a naked woman, with just her nipples and intimate areas covered.
Jesy and Zion have been getting close in recent months and have documented their romance on their respective Instagram pages.
They were pictured for the first time earlier this month as they ran errands following a romantic trip to Jamaica.
The Mirror has reached out to Jesy's reps for comment.