Chinese zookeepers forced to defend lion’s haircut – insist they did not give it ‘bangs’

Hang Hang has been compared to one of The Beatles and Joe Exotic

Zookeepers in China have been forced to deny giving the King of the Jungle "bangs" after pictures appeared online showing a big cat looking far less majestic than normal. Images taken at Guangzhou Zoo showed lion, Hang Hang, looking like his keepers had given his mane a bit of a trim, with suggestions he'd just stepped out of the salon, turning him into even more of an attraction. In place of a long, wild mane - in keeping with such a ferocious predator - the white lion appeared to be sporting a bowl-cut fringe and blown-out mullet, that looked to have been blow-dried a little too long. Users on Chinese microblogging site, Weibo, have been sharing images of Hang Hang, sparking debate over whether his keepers had tried to give him "bangs". Responding to the claims,  zookeepers have since suggested that the less-than-usual mane is down to high humidity levels rather than their scissor-work. Posting from the official Weibo account for the Guangzhou Zoo, staff re-shared the original post that sparked the debate, saying that humidity had made the once free-flowing mane, flop downwards, chalking up the change to "nature's magic". They also insisted that they would not interfere with the white lion's natural locks, but, according to TMZ, also suggested Hang Hang now looks like a blonde supermodel. Weibo users were less convinced, saying the big cat now looks like one of  The Beatles, while others suggested he looked like the 'Tiger King"', Joe Exotic. They also claimed Hang Hang looked completely different two months ago. Related links:

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