'Starving' lion is barely more than skin and bones at Chinese zoo, prompting online fury

Shocking footage has emerged of a ‘starving’ lion which is barely more than skin and bones at a Chinese zoo.

Many have been left furious and disturbed by the sight of the big cat – called Ala – who looks so malnourished it is struggling to carry out basic functions such as walking.

In the horrifying video, captured at Jinniu Lake Safari Park in Nanjing, China, viewers can see the lion’s ribs because it is so thin.

The footage, shared on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, shows the distressed lion wobbling down steps looking as though it could topple over at any moment.

The video prompted mass online fury, with many accusing the zoo of not taking adequate care of the lion being kept in captivity.

One user said: ‘This is too much suffering. If you can’t afford to feed it, send it to a different zoo that can.

‘Why let him suffer? It should have been left living in nature.’

Meanwhile, another added: ‘This zoo is too much, starving the lions like this.’

Officials at the zoo later attributed the lion’s shocking appearance to its old age because he can no longer chew his food. 

They claimed that the 25-year-old big cat would be 80 if he was a human.

Officials confirmed that Ala is fed a special diet of liquid protein and small cuts of meat, while he is also watched over by specially trained vets in a private cage. 

The zoo added: ‘Usually, we let it out for a walk in the morning or evening.’

Despite the concerning footage, Jinniu Lake Safari Park is ranked in the top five family-friendly things to do 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 ‘poor management’ and others complaining of the huge costs.