Zoo under fire after its zebras turned out to be donkeys with stripes painted on
A Chinese zoo has admitted painting its donkeys to look like zebras.
Inspired by previous ruses – including dogs painted black and white to look like pandas – bosses said they were desperate to increase the number of visitors through the gates.
Photos taken at the Zibo City amusement park in Shandong province went viral on social media, drawing criticism and becoming the focal point of memes.
One user on the Chinese site Weibo called the act ‘misleading and unethical.’
Another commenter on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, stated that ‘it’s unfair to the animals and the visitors.’
The amusement park’s staff defended the act as a marketing strategy to increase foot traffic.
They claimed the dye used was non-toxic and did not harm the animals, but animal rights activists have still expressed concern.
This incident has sparked a broader debate about the ethics of altering animals’ appearances for entertainment purposes.
Many are calling for stricter regulations to prevent such practices in the future.
Late last month, another Chinese zoo dyed dogs orange and black to look like tigers – but that also wasn’t very convincing.
Video footage shows a Chow Chow running around while covered in the paint at the Qinhu Bay Forest Animal Kingdom zoo in Taizhou, China.
Other pictures shared show two other Chow Chow dogs, that are native to China, also covered in paint.
The zoo soon admitted it had all been a ‘gimmick’ and said there was no health risk to the dogs because the dye was put on professionally.
Beady-eyed social media users on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, were quick to notice these were definitely not big cats.
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