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‘APPALLING’ STUNT
Brit bodybuilder Martyn Ford dubbed ‘world’s scariest man’ slammed for performing tug of war with caged ‘liger’ in Dubai
A BRIT bodybuilder has been slammed by animal rights charities after he was filmed performing a tug of war with a caged liger in Dubai.
Martyn Ford, 40, dubbed the "World's Scariest Man", shared the video of the stunt with his more than four million Instagram followers on Monday morning.
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In the short clip filmed in Dubai, the 6'8'' giant yanks at a long rope, the other end of which is being held in the mouth of a caged "liger" - the hybrid offspring of a male lion and a female tiger.
Ford, wearing shorts, a shirt and slip-on shoes, is seen sweating as battles with the animal, while a laughing crowd watches on.
At one stage, the big cat is able to pull Ford back several feet, sparking more laughter.
"Watch your legs, babe," the woman filming the video says.
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Ford captioned the video: "Now, this is one hell of a way to train back. I'll be moving over to Dubai soon to start my training camp with my friend."
He added: "Can anyone guess how heavy this liger is? An absolute BEAST of an animal."
The clip quickly racked up more than 70,000 likes but sparked a mixed response from viewers.
One commenter wrote: "What if we would change the position and you would be in that prison?"
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A second wrote: "Love your content usually big man but just find this a bit disheartening. Take a step back and think [about] what you’re doing... poor animal in a cage being made to do tug of war with multiple people a day for a giggle. Makes me sad."
While a third added: "Let him out and you will see how strong he is."
Animal rights groups have also slammed the Staffordshire-born bodybuilder and actor for the stunt.
Emily Wilson, Head of Campaigns at FOUR PAWS UK said: "We are appalled to see Martyn Ford share this cruel footage with his four million-strong following, and advocate for such abhorrent behaviour against animals.
Love your content usually big man but just find this a bit disheartening
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"Clearly unhappy, uncomfortable, and distressed, he continues to yank on the animal’s rope, ignoring its clear signs of discomfort.
"We urge Martyn to show true strength and champion the rights of those who can’t themselves by deleting the video and pledging to #TravelKind by supporting animal-friendly travel experiences that do not commodify sentient beings."
The Sun Online has approached Martyn Ford's representatives for comment.
He has since spoken out on the row, hitting back at critics and insisting the animals at the zoo are well looked after.
Ford told the : "I understand people being concerned over the well fair of animals and I am a huge animal lover, I can assure you these animals are ridiculously well looked after."
He added: "The liger that was playing tug of war was the one who ran over to play - she was excited, happy, and extremely playful."
Ford, who weighs a staggering 320lbs, originally dreamed of being a professional cricketer, but his hopes were dashed in his teenage years when he caught a particularly bad bought of glandular fever.
His impressive physique and colossal stature have taken him from the West Midlands to Hollywood.
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He has starred in a number of blockbuster films including Final Score, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and most recently Fast & Furious 9.
On top of his fledgling acting career, Ford also owns Beta Bodz gym in Birmingham.
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