A screengrab from the video showing a donkey painted as a zebra
Credit: X/@cz8921469_z
A video of "zebra" in an amusement park in Zibo of East China's Shandong Province, has caught netizens attention. However, the animal is not a zebra, but a donkey disguised as one.
As seen in multiple videos shared on social media platforms, the video shows defined black and white stripes painted on a donkey's body, while its face remains unpainted.
Soon after netizens noticed that it was not an actual zebra and sparked widespread discussion.
As per a report by Global Times that cited CCTV News, a staff member of the park confirmed it to be a donkey with stripes painted on it to make it look like a zebra.
There is a sign board that clearly indicates that it was a donkey, and the owner did it "just for fun", the report stated.
The staff person said that previously a zoo had painted a dog as a panda that had garnered attention, hence they tried following the same strategy for their park.
However, some netzines raised question whether painting a donkey as a zebra was to mislead the visitors.
According to a lawyer, quoted by the publication, this is a unique marketing strategy that can grab attention of the visitors.
He further said that if the strategy does not "constitute consumer fraud", as long as there are "clear indications.