An aminal trainer at a zoo in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, pokes a black bear with an object to make it do a hula hoop dance during a performance. Photo: Screenshot of a video posted by Xi'an Business Newspaper

A wildlife zoo in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, issued an announcement on Wednesday in response to a widely circulated video in which a black bear at the zoo appeared to be poked with a needle by an animal trainer to force it do a hula hoop dance during a performance. 

The announcement clarified that the object that the man used on the bear was a plastic baton, which is often employed as a command prop in the black bear's daily behavior training to prompt it to carry out a certain action.

It also noted that the man was not from the zoo, but a staff member working for a collaborative animal performance project. 

The staff member has already been dismissed for the improper way he used the baton on the bear in the video, according to the announcement.

The response came after the video sparked online criticism against animal abuse in the circus show. 

The zoo said in the announcement that it has urged the animal performance project to suspend the black bear behavior display program and further regulate its animal behavior training.