Henan Zoo Discovers It’s Hard To Pass Off A Dog As A Lion

Tibetan mastiff as lion
A zoo in Henan recently put a Tibetan mastiff in its lion pen, which had no lion. We have no doubt they did this as a joke, perhaps to see which zoo-goers, followed by news outlets, would take them seriously. But we wonder -- is this "trolling"? Is this "satire"? Is this actually a political statement about the Chinese zoo itself, forcing us -- by caging a household pet -- to see the metal bars which render animals as objects of amusement and belittlement?

Jiaku The Gorilla Has Quit Smoking, So Please Stop Giving Him Cigarettes

Jiaku the gorilla
A 23-year-old gorilla named Jiaku became famous at Tianshan Wildlife Zoo in Xinjiang for being a "heavy smoker." He was known to perform tricks -- doing handstands, turning in circles, clapping his hands, even performing ballet moves -- to get visitors to throw him a smoke, and would sometimes get desperate without his nicotine fix. His trainer, however, out of concern for his health, has recently tried to wean him off cigarettes. The method has been to lace his ciggies with chili pepper and to apply an ointment on the end.

This Is The Saddest Fucking Panda

Lanzhou panda
The Sina Weibo user who posted this picture, @哥不一搬3285043987, appears to have absonded from social media, but he/she thinks this giant panda in Lanzhou, Gansu province is dying because the zoo can’t feed it. The post: Lanzhou City Zoo’s panda is the world’s saddest panda. Thin and dirty. So hungry it can’t even walk. Supervisors... Read more »

This Sad Polar Bear In Beijing Again Highlights The Paltry Condition Of China’s Zoos

Paltry Beijing Zoo conditions for polar bear featured image
Whether dealing with common pets or endangered species, many humans still don't know how to be humane. But public reaction to conditions at the Beijing Zoo and an incident at South China Normal University in Guangdong indicate that at least awareness is growing among animal advocates and netizens in this country. A video of the poor living conditions of a polar bear at the Beijing Zoo, posted by Sina Weibo user @临临Lynn, elicited a flood of comments yesterday.