An Egyptian zoo has denied painting black stripes on a donkey to make it look like a zebra.
Student Mahmoud Sarhan posted images of the animal on Facebook after visiting the Cairo International Garden municipal park.
He says the black stripes were smudged and the face and ears of the zebra resembled a donkey, CNN reports.
But the zoo is insisting the animal is not fake.
"The zebra is real and not painted," zoo director Mohammed Sultan told Egypt's Youm 7 news channel.
The pictures have since gone viral and even animal experts have weighed in on the debate.
PETA Foundation vice president Delcianna Winders says it appears the animal was not well taken care of.
"No reputable animal care facility would subject a skittish animal like a donkey to the stress of being restrained and sprayed with chemicals like paint, which could cause a painful allergic reaction, and PETA hopes that Cairo authorities are fully investigating this matter," Ms Winders told CNN in a statement.
It isn't the first time a zoo has come under fire for passing off one animal as another.
In 2013 a Chinese zoo tried to pass off a Tibetan mastiff dog as a lion.
Newshub.
