A zoo in China has been forced to admit it allegedly dyed dogs white and black to make them look like pandas, after visitors complained about the subterfuge upon its unveiling last week.
“There are no panda bears at the zoo and that’s why we wanted to make one,” a spokesperson for the Taizhou Zoo, located in the eastern province of Jiangsu, did not hide. of China, to the Jam Press agency, according to what the “New York Post” reported on Monday.
Last Wednesday, the first visitors to attend the unveiling of the “new species” of “panda dog” were not all convinced when they reportedly came face to face with bushy black-dyed Chow-chow dogs. and in white, to simulate panda fur, noted “The Sun”.
While several families complained of having been misled by the advertising, forcing the zoo to publicly rectify the situation, others instead accused it of animal abuse, according to British media.
“People also dye their hair. The natural dye can be used on dogs if they have long fur,” the zoo spokesperson also defended.
Nevertheless, other visitors were charmed by the little hopping creatures.
“They are really small and they run fast! I think they’re adorable,” said one of them, according to the “NY Post.”
This is not the first time that a zoo has attracted controversy for attempting to disguise an animal: recently, another zoo in China reportedly drew public ire after attempting to pass off another chow-chow as a lion. , even going so far as to install a sign leaving no room for doubt as to his intentions.
“Using a dog to pretend to be a lion is definitely an insult to tourists,” the mother of a 6-year-old boy, Sharon Liu, reportedly complained to the newspaper “The Orient Today” after hearing the lion bark.
Finally, last August, the Hangzhou Zoo, in Zhejiang province in China, also had to speak out to assure that one of its bears was indeed an animal, and not a man in disguise, after reports photos showing it on its two legs made the public doubt.
