Fake pandas cause confusion at a zoo in China the world

They were all discovered in Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province, east China, on May 1. There, visitors to the zoo saw “panda dogs” roaming in a fenced area.

But upon closer inspection, visitors saw that it was not a panda. Instead, it was Chow Chow dogs, a breed from northern China, that were dressed as bamboo-eating animals.

Zoo workers cut off the fur and dyed the area around the nose, eyes and legs black, all to imitate black and white bears.

When asked why they were dressed up, zoo staff responded:

– There are no pandas in the zoo and that's why we wanted to do this.

Employees stand up for themselves

The animals have raised many questions and interest. Crowds were drawn to the zoo and then uploaded clips of the “panda dogs” to the Chinese platform Douyin.

Many visitors accused the zoo of cruelty to the animals, but zoo employees rejected the criticism and claimed that the black and white animals were not harmed.

– People also color their hair, says a zoo spokesperson, saying the natural color can be used for dogs with long fur.

It became a trend

Dressing up your dog as a panda is becoming increasingly popular.

Ten years ago, it became so popular among dog owners to dress up their pets in the form of pandas that pet stores found it difficult to meet the growing demand for these costumes.

“Ten years ago, a Chinese person’s natural instinct was to eat a dog,” Hsien Chen, a pet shop owner in the Chinese city of Chengdu, told the London-based Metro newspaper.

– Now we are like Westerners and we want someone to accompany us. Cute breeds like French Bulldogs and Labradors used to be favourites, but now it's the panda.