WATCH: China zoo paints Chow Chow dogs as pandas to lure visitors, faces backlash

In what can only be seen as bizarre, China’s Shanwei Zoo, that had been exhibiting ‘pandas’ has confessed that what it actually had were Chow Chows painted to resemble the iconic black-and-white bears.  

The revelation was made after visitors noticed unusual behaviors from the supposed pandas, including panting and barking, leading to widespread disbelief.

Footage shared on social media showed one of the “pandas” panting while resting, and another with a long tail casually strolling around.  

One viewer humorously dubbed it a “PANdog,” while another quipped, “That’s the Temu version of a panda.”  

A third commenter sarcastically noted, “They were panting—that’s why they are pandas.”

Following the uproar, zoo officials admitted to the ruse, confirming that two Chow Chows had been artificially altered with panda-like markings. This has outraged the zoo visitors, many of whom are now demanding refunds for what they consider false advertising.

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This incident is not an isolated one. Earlier in May, the Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province faced similar backlash for displaying painted Chow Chows.

Back then, Zoo officials had informed Chinese state media that the animals were, in fact, Chow Chows—an originally northern Chinese dog breed—painted black and white to mimic giant pandas. They emphasised that they had clearly advertised them as “panda dogs” and did not intend to mislead anyone.

When pressed for clarity, a zoo representative explained, “There are no panda bears at the zoo, and we wanted to do this as a result.”

Public sentiment has been largely negative, especially concerning the treatment of the dogs. Criticism emerged on Weibo, China’s equivalent of X (formerly Twitter), with one user stating, “It is not funny at all to dye Chow Chow dogs to attract tourists. Their fragile skin and naturally thick coats make them susceptible to skin diseases.”

Zoo officials, however, argued that the dogs were not harmed by the dye and likened it to humans dyeing their hair.

With inputs from agencies.