Animal rights group PETA have slammed singer Justin Bieber after he was pictured posing with a chained tiger at his father's engagement party over the weekend. PETA say that not only was Bieber ‘lucky not to have had his throat torn out’, they also claim the tiger came from a zoo whose former owner was charged with animal cruelty.

In a statement to the New York Daily News, PETA’s Senior VP Lisa Lange said: “Justin Bieber is lucky not to have had his throat torn out by this stressed, captive tiger. Tigers used for photo ops are torn away from their mothers shortly after birth.”

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PETA believe that the tiger came from Bowmanville Zoo in Ontario, whose director stood down last month after begin charged with five counts of animal cruelty, following a video being released online which appeared to show him whipping a tiger.

“The Bowmanville Zoo, in particular, was caught whipping one tiger more than 17 times, even after the cat was lying on his back in a position of submission and fear,” Lange continued.

“This is why PETA urges everyone to stay far away from cruel and dangerous big-cat photo ops and also why we're asking Justin to vow that this will be his last time promoting these types of abusive outfits.”

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Over the weekend Justin also shocked fans when he showed off his newly shaved head in a series of Instagram photos. The drastic new look comes after the singer was accused of ‘appropriating black culture’ when he debuted blonde dreadlocks back in March.