Child spotted in a cage on Russian street sparks global outrage

A child behind steel bars is certainly not a common sight. However, in Russia, anything seems possible. A man and a woman were spotted keeping a young girl in a cage.

In modern times, keeping animals in cages is increasingly controversial, with much discussion about the need for freedom, respect, and humane treatment. The thought of people behind bars is anxiety-inducing, conjuring images of unpleasant prison conditions. Yet prisons are still buildings that must meet specific standards. People in cages, on the other hand, evoke images of complete deprivation of freedom, such as slavery, freak shows, or human trafficking.

So, can it be considered normal that two individuals were seen on the street holding a young child in a small cage in the city of Orenburg in western Russia?

A video showing a man and a woman accompanied by a small child has gone viral on the internet. The man was pulling a suitcase on wheels, and the woman was pulling a cage with a little girl inside it. The "playpen" was also equipped with wheels but resembled a tight and small industrial cage. The child could not sit upright; she crouched and hunched, tucking her legs under her. A small dog trotted right behind the (probably) family.

A passerby recorded the video, which quickly spread across the internet, initially proliferating on Telegram—one of the popular online messengers. The video swiftly went viral on X. The police were notified and are actively searching for the family. No further details are available at this time.