"Is a Dyed Panda Dog Really a Panda?"... Flood of Complaints at Chinese Zoo

Visitors Protest Over 'Panda Dog' Reveal
"No Real Panda, So They Painted Dog with Panda Pattern"

A zoo in China is facing controversy for dyeing dogs to look like pandas in an attempt to attract visitors.

On the 23rd (local time), foreign media such as CNN and the New York Post reported that a zoo in Sanwei City, Guangdong Province, China, unveiled two so-called 'Panda Dogs' to visitors. Videos taken by visitors showed that the entire faces of the two dogs were covered with white fur, with the areas around their eyes and ears dyed black. The front and hind legs were also dyed black like pandas. The dogs decorated to look like pandas wagged their tails, stuck out their tongues, panted, and even barked.

A zoo in China dyed a puppy to look like a panda and then displayed it to visitors. [Image source=YouTube 'Australian Community Media']

Initially, the zoo attracted visitors by advertising that they could see endangered pandas. However, visitors protested fiercely upon realizing that what was actually inside the enclosure were not pandas but dogs dyed to look like pandas.

As the controversy continued, the zoo tried to deflect the situation by introducing the animals as a 'Panda Dog' breed. However, facing ongoing criticism, the zoo admitted, "We do not have real pandas in our zoo, so we painted panda patterns on two Chow Chows and presented them." After the zoo acknowledged disguising dogs as pandas, there were reports of local demands for refunds of admission fees.

This is not the first case of dogs being disguised as pandas in China. In May, a zoo in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, showcased Panda Dogs to visitors. At that time, a Taizhou Zoo official explained, "The idea of dyeing dogs as pandas was obtained from the internet." He added, "Our zoo is small and cannot bring in real pandas," and "We introduced Panda Dogs to increase visitors by adding fun to the zoo." However, there was also controversy over animal abuse at that time.

Meanwhile, the international animal protection organization PETA has warned that dyeing can be dangerous to pet dogs. Dye can cause severe allergic reactions or stress in pet dogs, and in some cases, it can lead to burns or exposure to toxins.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.