If you are looking forward to seeing zebras in the flesh, you might want to avoid visiting the Zibo City amusement park in the Chinese province of Shandong. If your dream is to witness some controversially oddly painted donkeys posing as zebras, though, you might have hit the jackpot.
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The aforementioned zoo is currently under fire due to footage shared online via Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. Reported by Western media outlets such as PEOPLE or the New York Post, footage at the zoo reveals donkeys painted with a black-and-white pattern, in an unsuccessful attempt to pose them as zebras.
Many people online reacted to the video of the painted donkey, which displayed a pattern that was far too artificial and badly designed. Some reacted by mocking the zoo's attempt to pass donkeys as zebras.
"I can't imagine the kind of work that must have gone into cracking the ruse. Cast Tom Cruise if you ever make a movie about it," one user wrote. Another one said: "Continuing the tradition of producing cheap knockoffs."
Others, however, were not too amused, as they became worried over the donkeys.
"Whether the paint was toxic or not, leave animals alone. Makes my blood boil!" one user wrote. "Kids need to be educated on animals and respecting life in general so they don't grow up to be idiots like this person," another user wrote, referencing a zoo worker who appears in the donkey video.
Zoo Addresses Controversy
The Zibo City amusement park, after receiving countless complaints and social media backlash, talked to China's Global Times. They told the outlet that they had painted the donkeys as part of a "marketing strategy." One staff member even said that "the owner did it just for fun."
Due to the image quality and the design painted on the donkey, many suspected that the workers had used duct tape instead of paint. However, the zoo would also confirm that they used a non-toxic dye.
Reportedly, the Zibo City amusement park was inspired by another Chinese zoo, the Shanwei Zoo. The latter displayed "painted dogs" that resembled pandas. The zoo called them "Panda Dogs" and described them as "gentle, smart, friendly, cute, and adorable."
