Watch | Chinese zoo dyes dogs to make them look like pandas

A Chinese zoo is facing backlash after being caught painting chow chow dogs to look like pandas.

On May 1, a zoo in China’s Taizhou city opened a new exhibition showcasing “panda dogs,” which were later revealed to be Chow Chow pupies colored black and white to mimic pandas.

The  zoo authorities would place the painted dogs on display every day between 8 am and 5 pm, where throngs of visitors congregated to look at them – until word of the zoo’s deception began to spread.

The zoo’s officials were strongly criticized after videos of the dogs were widely circulated on social media.

According to a report with Sky News, the zoo authorities also charged visitors 20 yuan (231.08 Rs in Indian currency) to watch the exhibition.

However, visitors to Jiangsu province’s zoo discovered that the animals were chow chows, a dog breed famed for its thick double coat of fur from northern China, that had been colored to resemble pandas.

According to The Global Times, legal experts predicted that visitors would feel tricked and disillusioned once they discovered the truth about the display.

The zoo defended its decision to place painted dogs instead of pandas. They also insisted that the dye wasn’t harmful to the dogs, and non-toxic dyes were used to paint the Chow Chows.

A zoo worker denied such accusations and told The Global Times that this was “just a new display” they offered to visitors. The zoo authorities did not charge anything extra.

“We are not charging extra. The wording featuring chow chow dogs is correct and exactly describes what they are, so we are not cheating our visitors,” he told The Global Times.

”There are no panda bears at the zoo and we wanted to do this as a result. People also dye their hair. Natural dye can be used on dogs if they have long fur,” a spokesperson for the zoo said.

It’s not the first time a Chinese zoo has been accused of fabricating animals. In 2023, Hangzhou Zoo denied claims some of its bears were people in costumes.