Chinese Zoo Faces Backlash After Painting Donkey to Look Like a Zebra

Visitors at a wildlife park in Anqiu, Weifang, China, were left surprised after spotting what appeared to be a donkey styled to resemble a zebra.

A video of the animal, shared online, quickly gained attention and led to discussions about the unusual display at the park.

Following the circulation of the footage, a staff member at the Qingyun Mountain Folk Custom Amusement Park explained that the animal was part of a themed attraction rather than an attempt to pass it off as a real zebra.

“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.”

The staff also mentioned that the park had previously carried out similar animal “makeovers” to entertain guests, including styling dogs to resemble pandas.

In one earlier example, Taizhou Zoo presented two Chow Chows dressed to look like pandas on 1 May 2024. The dogs were groomed and had black-and-white dye applied to mimic the appearance of pandas, despite the zoo not having real pandas on display.

See video below………

Donkey Painted Like Zebra at Chinese Zoo Sparks Reactions Online pic.twitter.com/sKvs8s6nUy

— Iamelizabeth (@elizabethblogng) June 22, 2026