Lion goes viral over unique hairstyle, China zoo denies giving it a haircut

The lion, A Hang, has now become the star of the zoo with more spectators visiting only to catch a glimpse of him. (Image credit: @QinduoXu/Twitter)

A lion in China’s Guangzhou Zoo has become an internet sensation over its locks, or specifically, its fringe hairstyle.

While the zookeepers have been accused of giving the lion, A Hang a haircut, authorities have claimed that the lion’s new hairstyle was due to heat and humidity, and not because they trimmed it.

“The hairstyle was purely nature’s magic,” a zoo spokesperson said, according to a report in New York Post. “We wouldn’t dare cut the lion’s hair. He looked like a blonde supermodel with fringe because of the high humidity in Guangzhou.”

“There is no hairdressing programme at the zoo. You can say that he has ‘designed’ the hairstyle himself,” officials told Chinese state media Global Times.

With China experiencing extreme heat and humidity, zoo officials said they found the lion licking his paws and patting its mane down to tame the frizz.

A Hang has now become the star of the zoo with more spectators visiting only to catch a glimpse of him.

“He’s the most beautiful boy here now, and more people are coming to see him,” his caretaker said.

Meanwhile, here's how Twitter reacted to Hang's hairstyle.

bro this lion stole my haircut https://t.co/vQ70R9fKlr

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— sydnee (@poIIypickpocket) May 31, 2022

in asia no one is spared,, even lion got bowl haircut https://t.co/f4xBUocfG0

— ee || (@yibaobaobei) May 29, 2022

The lion has the face I used to have when my mom would force me to get the army haircut https://t.co/NAsmhsOqmt

— Farrukh Javed Abbasi (@FJavedAbbasi) May 31, 2022

A Hang, was brought to the zoo in 2015 from Hangzhou in eastern China’s Zhejiang province.

This has been one of China’s hottest years, experts have said, as temperatures crossing 32 degrees Celsius in May.