A play in China went viral early last week as real wolves chased actors as part of the performance, CNN reported Thursday.
The live show in the northwestern city of Xi’an depicted several wolves running on stage chasing performers around the theater. The show titled “Tuoling Legend” or “The Legend of Camel Bell” explores the “traditional culture of the Tang Dynasty, follow[s] the traces of the camel team on the Silk Road, and spread[s] the cultural legends of Xi’an’s most glorious historical period,” according to the Huaxia Cultural Tourism website.
The viral video shows the wolves running on stage and chasing the performers around the theater. The wolves and the performers then engage in fight scenes, with one performer later being pinned down by a wolf, according to the report. (RELATED: Idaho Might Be Set To Kill Up To 90% Of Its Wolf Population With Legislation That Includes Night-Vision Equipment)
A representative of the Xi’an branch of Huaxia Cultural Tourism told CNN, “these wolves are safe and won’t hurt people.” “The wolves have been domesticated for three to four generations. They are legally raised and trained by professional trainers with certifications since 2018, and no accident happened in the past three years.”
The representative added that the performers wore protective clothing, and a net protected those audience members so the wolves wouldn’t reach them. Thirty gray wolves and 20 camels were used in the performance to show the danger travelers faced on the Silk Road.
The video has garnered more than 433 million views.