WATCH: Child falls into Shanwei Zoo gorilla enclosure, Xing shot dead as memes flood Chinese social media
Xing, a western lowland gorilla at Shanwei Zoo, was fatally shot after a child fell into his enclosure, sparking national outrage in China.
A shocking incident at Shanwei Zoo has gripped the nation — and the fallout online is spreading even faster. Xing, a gorilla shot dead after a child fell into his enclosure, has now become the center of a viral firestorm across Chinese social media.
The Incident
Xing had only been at Shanwei Zoo for about a year before tragedy struck. Western lowland gorillas like him are critically endangered, with fewer than 100,000 left in the wild.
Visitors watched in horror as a three-year-old boy climbed over a barrier and fell into Xing’s enclosure. Videos, now circulating widely on Weibo and other platforms, show Xing approaching the boy, grabbing him, and dragging him through the shallow water. At one moment, he appeared to lift the child upright — sparking intense debate about whether he was showing aggression or protective behaviour.
Shanwei Zoo confirmed in a statement:
“Our Dangerous Animal Response Team faced a life-or-death situation. They made the difficult decision to put Xing down in order to save the child’s life.”
The boy was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Public Outrage
Within hours, the story dominated Weibo trending lists. Hashtags like #RIPXing and #JusticeForXing shot to the top, generating millions of views.
Many users expressed sorrow for Xing and anger at the circumstances. Some blamed the child’s parents for negligence, while others accused the zoo of reacting too hastily. Activists are already calling for improved safety measures around animal enclosures.