A viral video out of China showing an animal trainer putting lipstick on a beluga whale has sparked outrage across the world.
The short clip, uploaded June 9 on popular video app Douyin, shows the woman interacting with one of the four belugas at Sun Asia Ocean World in Northeast China's Dalian.
The woman is heard laughing as she applies red lipstick around the white whale's mouth as it keeps its head above water.
The incident has stirred concerns among netizens and animal activists at home and abroad, including PETA, over the whale's welfare.
The video has since been deleted from the platform, along with the account that posted it.
Sun Asia Ocean World has acknowledged the video from 2017, claiming the employee in question had left the company in May.
The aquarium also apologized for its negligence and the risks posed to the whale.
