Outrage erupts over animal deception in Shandong province

A Chinese zoo has sparked controversy after admitting to painting donkeys with black-and-white stripes to make them resemble zebras, allegedly to boost visitor numbers.

The Zibo City amusement park in Shandong province faced backlash from social media users after images of the painted animals surfaced online.

Zoo admits to using dye but denies harm

As the controversy grew, the zoo confirmed that it had used dye but claimed it was non-toxic.

A staff member at the zoo stated:

“The owner did it just for fun.”

They further justified the act by referencing a previous incident where another zoos dyed a dog to resemble a panda, saying they were attempting a similar promotional strategy.

Social media users react with criticism

Chinese netizens were outraged, calling for stricter regulations to prevent such practices in the future.

Some of the reactions included:

• “It’s unfair to the animals and the visitors.”
• “Why is it always China?”
• “They did a pretty bad job too.”

Not the first case of animal deception

This incident is not isolated. Just last month, a zoo in Taizhou, Jiangsu province, was caught dyeing two Chow Chow dogs with black and orange stripes to resemble tigers.

During a live broadcast on Douyin (China’s version of TikTok), the zoo claimed:

“Our tigers are huge and very fierce!”

However, social media users quickly pointed out that the “tigers” were actually painted dogs.

After facing backlash, the zoo admitted the deception, calling it a “gimmick” but insisted the dye was safe.

Call for stricter animal welfare regulations

These recurring incidents have fueled calls for better animal protection laws in China, with critics arguing that such practices exploit animals and deceive visitors.

While the Zibo City Zoo insists no harm was done, the incident has further damaged the reputation of Chinese zoos, which have been repeatedly accused of animal mistreatment and misleading visitors.