Cover image via Xiaohongshu
A zoo in China has dyed two dogs to make them look like pandas
Image via Xiaohongshu
Image via Xiaohongshu
Image via Xiaohongshu
Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu province has confused several netizens for displaying two 'panda dogs' in an enclosure.
Videos surfaced online showing two black-and-white Chow Chows with panda-rimmed eyes wandering around the pen.
A sign in front of the enclosure states that the 'panda dogs' are not an actual dog breed but are simply referred to as such due to their resemblance to pandas
A zoo worker told Jiangsu News that the 'panda dogs' were meant to attract more visitors and that the facility was too small to house actual pandas.
The zoo displayed the dogs from 1 May to 5 May for the Labour Day holiday and it attracted thousands of visitors, Jiupai News reported.
According to The Straits Times, entrance to the zoo costs 20 yuan (RM13) for an adult and 10 yuan (RM6.50) for children taller than 1.4m.
Image via Xiaohongshu
Several people have since commented that dyeing the dogs' fur was cruel, to which the zoo replied that dog fur is similar to human hair and the dyeing process is harmless
Image via Xiaohongshu/Mothership
Image via Xiaohongshu
Image via Xiaohongshu
While pet-friendly dyes do exist, it remains unclear whether the ones used on the Chow Chows were of this nature.
Despite looking similar to pandas, videos showed the animals exhibiting canine behaviour.
