Tennis ace and Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has been slammed for posting a video in which he pulls a shark towards the shore.
Kyrgios has been enjoying a post-Wimbledon holiday in the Bahamas before the US Open begins next month.
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Taking in the sun, sea and sand of one of the most idyllic parts of the world, it's an ideal spot for Kyrgios to recharge and get himself ready for the follow up to reaching his first grand slam singles final.
While he was knocked out of the US Open in straight sets in the first round last year, the fit and on-form Kyrgios who reached the Wimbledon final could do much better.
His chances of picking up his first singles grand slam title are better than ever, especially since victorious opponent Novak Djokovic seemingly won't be allowed to compete over his decision not to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
For now the US Open is still more than a month away and Kyrgios is enjoying some well earned rest and relaxation.
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The tennis star has been posting pictures and videos of his time off, but has been faced with accusations of animal cruelty after he posted a video to Instagram showing him dragging a shark.
In the video, Kyrgios and others are pulling on a rope attached to a small shark which thrashes around and appears to be struggling to get away.
One person wrote: "Vegan but torturing sharks? Wow," while another commenter slammed the tennis star's 'disgusting' behaviour.
A second person said he should 'leave the shark alone', while a third told Kyrgios 'shame on you guys'.
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Others wanted to know whether the shark was being hurt as it tried to swim away from the tennis player on several occasions only to be kept back by the rope he was holding.
Some defended Kyrgios, claiming that there was a fish on the end of the rope and they were essentially just feeding a shark which could let go at any time.
They argued that the video depicted what was essentially a playful tug of war between Kyrgios and the shark.
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An argument broke out in the comments under Kyrgios's post whether baiting in an animal and dragging it around so you could get pictures with it was right or not.
One group of people thought it was fine as the shark was getting fed and there were no hooks attached to the rope, meaning the animal wouldn't get hurt.
However, others thought baiting the shark in with food and dragging it around for a photo opportunity was exploitative.
LADbible has approached Kyrgios's reps for comment.
Featured Image Credit: @k1ngkyrg1os/Instagram