A Chinese zoo has admitted to passing off painted dogs as pandas after visitors noticed the animals panting and barking, behaviours not typical of real pandas.
Visitors at the Shanwei Zoo shared videos of the so-called pandas, which had long tails and were visibly not the iconic bears.
It was revealed that the zoo had painted two Chow Chows, a fluffy dog breed, to resemble pandas, leading to public outrage and demands for refunds due to false advertising.
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This incident is not isolated. In May, another Chinese zoo in Jiangsu Province painted Chow Chows and initially claimed they were “panda dogs.”
The zoo later admitted that no such animals exist but defended their actions, arguing the dogs weren’t harmed by the dye and comparing it to humans dyeing their hair.
Public reaction has been mixed, with some criticizing the zoos for mistreating the dogs, as Chow Chows have sensitive skin that could be harmed by dye.
Despite this, the practice of painting dogs to look like pandas has been seen before, such as in 2019 when a dog cafe dyed six Chow Chows to resemble panda bears.
Source: CollinRugg