Visitors to a Chinese zoo were left baffled after discovering that a donkey had been painted to look like a zebra. The bizarre incident occurred at the Qingyun Mountain Folk Custom Amusement Park in Anqiu, Shandong province, and footage of the animal quickly went viral on Chinese social media.
Donkey Disguised as Zebra
The video shows the donkey standing in a forlorn enclosure, its coat marked with crude black stripes in an apparent attempt to mimic a zebra. While some visitors initially believed the animal was indeed a zebra, its long, pointed ears and the presence of other donkeys in the same enclosure quickly revealed the truth.
After facing heavy mockery online, park staff issued a baffling explanation. They claimed the donkey was simply dressed up as a zebra for entertainment purposes and that the park never explicitly stated it was a zebra. In a statement, they said: "We're doing cosplay. We never said it was a zebra! We didn't even put up a sign saying it was a zebra! It's just a joke, an abstract kind of thing meant to entertain visitors." Staff also revealed they had performed similar "makeovers" on several dogs to amuse visitors.
Not the First Time
This is not the first instance of a Chinese zoo using deceptive gimmicks. In May 2024, Taizhou Zoo unveiled two Chow Chow dogs dyed to look like pandas after failing to acquire real pandas. Social media users accused the zoo of animal cruelty, but a spokesperson defended the practice, saying: "People also dye their hair. Natural dye can be used on dogs if they have long fur."
Last year, another park in Zibo City, also in Shandong province, was caught painting donkeys to resemble zebras. A staff member told a local tabloid: "The owner did it just for fun," and insisted a sign was in place clarifying the animal was not a zebra.
These incidents highlight a trend among some Chinese zoos to fake exotic animals as a cheap alternative, often leading to public outrage and ridicule.
