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Disturbing footage of a white tiger solemnly walking around in circles has shocked viewers across the world.

The clip, taken at Beijing Zoo in China, has been seen more than 10million times in just 48 hours.

It shows the seemingly distressed tiger going round and round in the tiny outdoor exercise area as tourists watch from a walkway above.

The majestic creature does not stop pacing and creates a large circular mark on the ground with its unchanged path.

A statement from Beijing Zoo reported that the tiger had been given “psychological counselling” after its handlers noticed the behaviour at the end of March.

(Image: AsiaWire / Daranran)

But pictures posted by social media users showed the tiger still doing circles in the first week of April.

Recent images released by the zoo show the creature in another enclosure, where it has reportedly been offered other activities such as swimming and the use of a jungle gym for alternative stimuli since last week.

Viewers of the clip on Weibo – China’s equivalent of Twitter – were left horrified at the sight.

“This tiger looks depressed,” one viewer wrote.

Another commented: “Zoos are prisons for animals.”

And a third said: “Sigh, the zoo still hasn’t directly responded to questions about the tiger’s mental well-being.”

It is not the only criticism levelled at the zoo recently.

Last month, a two-star review about the giant panda enclosure read: “Mostly living in cages, very distressing to see a mother Elephant with her baby walking round in circles as their cage [is] so small with nothing in it.”

The video comes as China continues to drag itself out of coronavirus lockdown, with authorities opening cities including the epicentre of the outbreak in Wuhan.