Nightclub slammed, under investigation after influencers photographed at party with wild animals
A Melbourne, Australia nightclub is under investigation after it was slammed for letting influencers holding snakes and baby crocodiles at its relaunch event.
Two Wrongs’ Instagram page was flooded with pictures of influencers posing with the reptiles on Saturday night, but any evidence of the event has since vanished from the account.
Model Morgan Waterhouse shared a photo of himself with a large snake wrapped around his neck, while influencer Britt Reukers posted snaps to her stories of someone kissing a baby crocodile.
The Victorian Conservation Regulator has since confirmed that an investigation is under way after reports the nightclub allowed visitors to handle native reptiles.
It comes after an RSPCA Victoria spokesperson said the nightclub environment would have been “highly distressing” to the animals.
“The environment the animals were in is highly likely to have been distressing to the animals and will likely have caused an excessive disturbance for them, particularly for reptiles who are sensitive to vibrations and loud music,” the spokesperson said.
Three reports were made to RSPCA Victoria over the weekend, and all reports have since been referred to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.
One attendee who shared a photo of her and a friend holding a snake around their necks was inundated with fire and love heart emojis from fans.
The photos may have disappeared but Instagram account Aussie Influencer Opinions was quick to save screenshots and share the bizarre scenes with their almost 80,000 followers.
It sparked a barrage of outraged comments from social media users who were unsettled by the use of the reptiles as “props” for photos.
“Use of animals as a promotional tool in an incredibly frightening environment for them is disgusting and cruel,” one person wrote.
“Passing around animals in a bar is just cruel. Great rebrand,” another said.
Another person took aim at the club’s use of Japanese styling and cuisine and suggested it was guilty of profiting off Asian culture.
“Cultural appropriation to promote your club is one thing, but using animals as a prop to be passed around is f—king gross. YUCK,” they said.
The club has just three posts left on the Instagram grid, and comments have since been disabled on all three of them.
