A zoo in eastern China is facing a backlash after its dogs were painted white and black to resemble real pandas. These 'fake pandas' were caught on camera at the Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu province on May 1.
In particular, the zoo promoted the attraction 'Xiong Mao Quan', which translates as 'panda dogs', to increase the number of visitors during the May holidays. According to the New York Post, Zoo officials cut the manes of two chow chow dogs and painted their faces black to resemble miniature pandas. The painted dogs were put on display every day between 8am and 5pm, where large numbers of visitors gathered to view them.
Watch the video here:
A zoo in China painted dogs because they didn't have real pandas😂 pic.twitter.com/BUyw7M4z9q
— Gareth (@garethrichmond5) May 6, 2024
The Chinese zoo invited visitors to see a new breed of pandas
They turned out to be just painted dogs 😂
Chinese products 😁 pic.twitter.com/rIXMQvj78B
— BlueGreen Planet (@BluesWaltair) May 8, 2024
Despite their striking resemblance to giant pandas, some observers noticed strange behavior such as head shaking. There was widespread outrage when visitors realized they were looking at chow-chow dogs instead of pandas. Many criticized the zoo authorities for animal abuse and cheating.
However, the zoo defended its decision to feature painted dogs instead of pandas. They also emphasized that the dye was not harmful to the dogs, and that non-toxic dyes were used to paint the Chow Chows.
''There are no panda bears in the zoo and that is why we wanted to do this. People also dye their hair. Natural dye can be used on dogs if they have long fur,” a zoo spokesperson said.
Another employee said the zoo could not house real giant pandas due to its relatively compact size. He told Jiangsu News: “In this way, we can add more fun to the zoo and increase the number of visitors.”
The Chow Chow is a spitz-like dog native to Northern China.
a Street times According to a report at the zoo, a sign read: “Panda dogs are not a true breed of dog. Rather, they are companion dogs that have been groomed to resemble pandas or born with coat patterns similar to pandas. have a white undercoat with black markings around the eye rims and ears, mimicking the facial features of a giant panda.”
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