Visitors at Shanwei Zoo in China were outraged after discovering that the pandas they had come to see were actually dogs painted to resemble the iconic bears. The deception came to light when one of the animals began barking and panting, leading attendees to realize something was off, as reported by local media.
Viral footage soon emerged, showing two animals in an enclosure that were clearly not pandas but dogs with painted fur. Their curly tails, a trait common to certain dog breeds, were unmistakable. Initially, the zoo tried to sidestep the issue by claiming the animals were a type of “panda dog.”
However, after mounting pressure and skepticism from the public, the zoo admitted that the animals were, in fact, two Chow Chows-a fluffy dog breed-painted to look like pandas. Frustrated visitors, understandably upset by the trickery, demanded refunds.
Not the first time
This is not the first instance of such a stunt in China. In May, Taizhou Zoo pulled a similar ploy by disguising Chow Chows as pandas.
“It is not funny at all to dye Chow Chow dogs to attract tourists,” a user wrote on the social media platform Weibo. “Their fragile skin and naturally thick coats make them susceptible to skin diseases.”
The zoo defended the act, explaining that without actual pandas, they thought this was the best alternative for visitors.
“There are no panda bears at the zoo and we wanted to do this as a result,” a zoo rep said at the time.
A year ago, a zoo in eastern China has refuted claims that its bears are actually people in costumes, following a viral video showing a Malayan sun bear standing on its hind legs like a human.
The footage sparked online speculation, but the zoo in Zhejiang province confirmed the bear is real, explaining that it is smaller and appears different from more commonly seen bears
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