A circus was accused of child endangerment and animal cruelty after shocking footage emerged of a small boy being placed on a tiger's back to pose for a picture and many others lining up for a photo.

The dangerous stunt was reportedly captured during a circus show in Baise, in Guangxi Province, southern China, on December 8.

Footage shows a young boy being lifted and placed on the back of a tiger lying on an iron bed inside a cage while a man took photos.

Although the tiger's hind legs were secured with a belt, its front legs and tail were still moving during the photoshoot.

More shocking still, several other children were seen waiting in line to take turns sitting on the tiger for photos.

Visitors said the price of being photographed with the wild beast was CNY 20 (GBP 2.22) per picture.

The incident sparked online fury, with many locals condemning the dangerous and irresponsible act.

One said: 'One accident can cost them a life. These people don't understand the concept of cost-benefit ratio. Just for the sake of taking a photo.'

And Wu Dawei added: 'Play as you wish, joke around as you like, but don't be afraid when the tiger shows its might.'

Many accused the circus bosses of disregarding the children's safety and the animals' welfare just for profit.

Local authorities said that they had sent personnel to the scene for investigation immediately after learning of the incident.

Staff from the Tourism and Culture Bureau stated that the circus performance had indeed been registered and was scheduled to continue until December 10.

However, they said they were only responsible for reviewing the content of acrobatic performances and were not aware of the dangerous activity.

Police also went to investigate, and said that so far there have been no reports of the tiger injuring anyone. Detailed information about the incident is still pending.