Zoo accused of painting donkeys to look like zebras

July 26 (UPI) -- Officials at an Egyptian zoo are denying allegations that two zebras on display are in fact donkeys painted with black and white stripes.

Mahmoud Sarhan snapped photos at the International Garden Municipal Park in Cairo after he noticed the two zebras on display appeared to be donkeys painted to look like zebras.

The photos, which went viral, show the animals' stripes appear to be smudging.

A veterinarian who analyzed the photos said the coloring of the faces do not align with a normal zebra's appearance, and their stripes do not appear to be consistent.

Mohamed Sultan, the zoo's director, told a local radio station that none of the animals in the facility are fraudulent.

A Chinese zoo came under fire in 2013 when sharp-eyed visitors noticed an animal labeled as a "lion" was in fact just an especially fluffy dog. The People's Park of Luohe said the Tibetan mastiff was a temporary replacement for the zoo's real lion, which was away at a breeding facility.