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Alice Yan

A zoo in central China has sparked online controversy for decking out a baby chimpanzee in a dress and hair braids to make it look like a little girl.
The eight-month-old online celebrity chimpanzee, nicknamed Qixi, was born and raised at Hesheng Forest Zoo in Qinyang, Henan province.
It has won the hearts of many visitors who describe it as adorable and like to interact with it just like they would with a human baby, the news outlet Red Star News reported.
In recent weeks, video clips of the female chimp wearing girls’ clothes and having its hair meticulously braided, have gone viral on social media in China.
It is often seen in a cot, on which there are many toys, or sitting in a stroller and holding a rubber dummy in its mouth.

Visitors shake hands with it or carry it in their arms to take photos, viral video clips show.
Orangutans are critically endangered worldwide, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. They are not native to China and can only be found in zoos.
The orangutan, like the chimpanzee and gorilla, is a hominid, which means it is part of the same animal family.
An animal keeper at the Henan zoo said they dressed the animal in clothes to keep it warm and braided its hair as they simply wanted to make it look beautiful.
“Besides, the hair is so long that it covers its eyes,” the unnamed worker was quoted as saying.
“We often take it to bask in the sun. During the interactions with visitors, we will apply disinfectant to the visitors. We will also bathe Qixi every other day. So please be assured that it is well taken care of,” the keeper added.
But Sun Quanhui, a scientist from the animal charity World Animal Protection China, said orangutans have dense hair and giving them clothes would interfere with its natural ability to regulate body temperature.
He said that living alone might harm the animal’s mental health because orangutans tend to live in groups.

“It is the zoo’s mission to respect the desires of animals and to build a diversified and nature-like environment,” Sun told the media.
“Dressing it up in clothes, braiding its hair and arranging it to frequently touch visitors might harm the animal and also convey a message that animals are entertaining,” said Sun.
The story has stirred huge interest on mainland social media.
“Little Qixi is so cute. The zoo is considerate in keeping it warm,” one internet user said, adding: “But as the expert warned, we should also not ignore the animal’s mental health.”
Another person said: “What a beautiful little chimpanzee! I hope it grows up healthily.”


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