‘Hungry’ lion is barely more than skin and bones at Chinese zoo, sparking fury online
- Shocking footage showed skinny lion walking through his locked cage
- The skeleton-like lion was filmed at the Jinniu Lake Safari Park in Nanjing, China.
- Outraged social media users accused the zoo of inflicting suffering on the lion
Shocking images have emerged of a ‘hungry’ lion that is barely more than skin and bones in a Chinese zoo.
Many were furious and disturbed to see the big cat, named Ala, which appears so malnourished that it has difficulty carrying out basic functions such as walking.
In the gruesome video, captured at Jinniu Lake Safari Park in Nanjing, China, viewers can see the lion’s ribs because they are so thin.
The images, shared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, show the distraught lion staggering down the steps as if it could topple over at any moment.
The video sparked massive fury online, with many accusing the zoo of failing to properly care for the captive lion.
Shocking images have emerged of a ‘hungry’ lion that is barely more than skin and bones at a zoo in China
One user said: ‘This is too much suffering. If you can’t afford to feed it, send it to another zoo that can.
‘Why let him suffer? He should have been left to live in the wild.
Meanwhile, another added: “This zoo is too much, starving the lions like that.”
Zoo officials later attributed the lion’s striking appearance to his old age because he can no longer chew his food.
They claimed the 25-year-old big cat would be 80 if he were a human.
Authorities confirmed that Ala is given a special diet of liquid protein and small cuts of meat, while also being monitored by specially trained veterinarians in a private cage.
The zoo added: “We usually let him out for a morning or evening walk.”
Despite the worrying images, Jinniu Lake Safari Park is ranked in the top five things to do as a family in Nanjing on Trip.com.
It has an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5, but there are also hundreds of negative reviews, with some visitors citing the zoo’s “mismanagement” and others complaining about the enormous costs.
Zoo officials later attributed the lion’s striking appearance to his old age because he can no longer chew his food.