DISTRESSING footage of a shockingly obese panther at a Chinese zoo has sparked fury among animal lovers.

The video captures the moment a large black panther waddles around its enclosure, struggling to walk as its huge belly visibly hangs out.

The big cat seemingly tries to hide behind a tree, but its bloated stomach makes the usually svelte and streamlined animal easy to spot. 

The shocking footage was filmed at the Chengdu Zoo in Chengdu, Sichuan Province in China and images were shared online on 9 March.

On 10 March, the zoo told local media that the black panther was very old and a female aged 16-years-old. 

The zoo also said the panther’s body functions and metabolism were not in a good condition. 

However, the panther’s condition has sparked backlash with comments saying many of the zoo’s animals are too fat due to being overfed.

A zoo keeper said: We are reducing the amount of food! We will start by reducing the beef and other things.”

Viewers have been left baffled by the size of the animal’s belly.

One viewer said: “I laughed hard. I thought she was pregnant, but it turned out that she was overweight.

“Please ask her to exercise more.”

This footage comes after a slew of other concerning images and videos coming out of Chinese zoos sparking fears about their treatment of animals.

Just last month a zoo in the Shandong province admitted to painting donkeys with black and white stripes to make them look like zebras.

The rubbish dye job by the Zibo City amusement park to try and attract more tourists was quickly spotted by visitors and shared online.

One user called the act “misleading and unethical”.

Another said that it’s “unfair to the animals and the visitors”.

But amusement park’s staff defended the act as a marketing strategy, saying that the dye used was non-toxic and did not harm the animals.

However, animal rights activists have expressed concerns over the welfare of the painted animals, arguing that such practices can cause stress and health issues.

In January, another Chinese zoo carried out a similar scam to lure in tourists by painting dogs to look like tiger cubs.

Footage taken at the Taizhou Zoo in the Jiangsu Province, shows a small fluffy creature padding around a brick courtyard daubed in oragne and black dye.

The rubbish dye job was quickly sniffed out that time as well, and the zoo was forced to admit the animals were chow chows instead.

Dogs dolled-up to look like other species has become quite an issue in China.

Last year, the Taizhou Zoo was caught parading painted puppies as pandas to scam visitors.