A Chinese zoo’s cover was blown when a little boy noticed its ferocious “African lion” was barking.
The zoo in the People’s Park of Luohe, in the central province of Henan, reportedly replaced its lion with a Tibetan mastiff — a large and long-haired breed of dog, according to the state-run Beijing Youth Daily.
A customer surnamed Liu wanted to show her son the different sounds animals made, when he pointed out the lion was barking.
“The zoo is absolutely cheating us,” Liu told the paper.
She was charged 15 yuan ($2.45) for the price of admission.
AFP reported that three other species housed incorrectly were two coypu rodents in a snake’s cage, a white fox in a leopard’s den and another dog in a wolf pen.
Head of the park’s animal department Liu Suya said that while they do have a lion, it had been taken to a breeding facility, and the dog, who is an employee’s pet, was housed in the zoo temporarily, AFP reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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