A boardroom dispute ended in carnage when a live donkey was thrown into a tiger enclosure in a zoo in eastern China.

Visitors watched in horror on Monday afternoon when the animal was hauled out of the back of a truck and thrown to a pair of hungry tigers by a group of men in Changzhou, in Jiangsu province.

The men were reportedly led by an investor in the zoo, who was involved in a dispute with managers. The argument was reported to be about poor returns.

The zoo said that the donkey was tossed into the enclosure "in a fit of rage" and apologised to the onlookers, promising that there would never be a repeat of the incident.

In a graphic video which has since gone viral in China, one of the tigers lept onto the donkey's back after it was pushed into a moat around the enclosure, as the other tiger clawed at the back and head of its prey.

Witnesses said the men had attempted to take the donkey along with several other animals out of the park so that they could sell them.

However, after they were stopped by security the men decided to feed the animals to the tigers.

After the donkey was hauled in, staff and visitors to the zoo reportedly rushed to stop the men from pushing a sheep into the tiger enclosure.