A Chinese zoo has come under fire for painting donkeys to look like zebras, following previous incidents of dogs being dyed to resemble tigers and pandas.
The Zibo City amusement park in Shandong province admitted to colouring donkeys with black and white stripes to attract visitors.
This practice was inspired by earlier cases where dogs were dyed to look like pandas.
Images of the painted donkeys have circulated widely on social media since 6th February, drawing criticism from netizens who accused the zoo of misleading visitors and mistreating animals.
One user on the Chinese microblogging 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 that the dye used was non-toxic and did not harm the animals.
However, animal rights activists have expressed concerns over the welfare of the painted animals, arguing that such practices can cause stress and health issues.
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.
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