CANNES –
One of the most posh playgrounds for the rich and famous has added a new attraction for the elite to enjoy: A Human Zoo. Built by French Billionaire Bernard Jean on a private cove with sixty surrounding acres the human zoo is a private, invite-only operation.
Mr. Jean has reportedly scooted around human rights laws by tangling his property up in legal fight with the French government as he tries to zone his compound as an independent nation.
The human zoo features many different stripes of endangered and exotic people
Jarawa tribal women — who are part of a protected tribe from India — have been permanently hired to dance and sing for guests and to live in a “Jarawa Habitat.”
The zoo is staffed exclusively with Haitians as they speak French and have come from such poverty they will not risk their livelihoods by speaking out. However, one Haitian employee who escaped the zoo has released limited information, video and photos.
“It’s deplorable. You cannot treat exotic human beings like beasts for the sake of money and status,” the anonymous ex-employee said. “I hope the world stops this.”
Other rare and endangered tribes that are reportedly at the private French zoo include members from the Onge, the Great Andamanese, the Sentinelese and the Shompens.
There has been no official press from the French government on the matter, but Human Survival International plans to file a suit against Mr. Jean, but acknowledges suing a billionaire is a difficult, often fruitless, task.
“Billionaires can mostly do whatever it is they want to do in our modern world of exploitation and profits at whatever cost,” a spokesperson from HSI said.