Lions hit with snowballs at China Zoo

Lions at a zoo in China are being hit with snowballs, for visitors' amusement purposes.

The big question here is whether or not this registers as animal cruelty, since the animals cannot defend themselves in a situation such as this one.

The incident occurred at Hangzhou Zoo lion exhibit, where someone snapped shots and posted online. The animals felt restless, at first the female circling the den, and then trying to hide out.

Below, you can see more photos of tourists treating the lion's enclosure like a targeting range, as relayed by China Smack.

“I suggest making them go in and have a snowball fight with the lions!” one user commented.

“If the lions weren’t locked in a cage, would the visitors still dare to attack them?” another user added.