A Chinese zoo has sparked outrage after painting dogs black and white and depicting them as pandas.
A video on YouTube shows the puppies with black ears, limbs and paws, and dark circles around their eyes.
Visitors said they became suspicious when the ‘pandas’ began panting in their enclosure.
When questioned, the zoo admitted that they had painted two Chow Chows, a type of spitz dog from northern China with a thick coat.
However, the zoo denies that they misled people, saying they never claimed the dogs were pandas. Instead, they said they were “panda dogs.”
Visitors said they became suspicious when the ‘pandas’ began panting in their enclosure
A video shared on YouTube shows the puppies with black ears, limbs and ears and dark circles around their eyes
The zoo denies that they misled people, as they never claimed the dogs were pandas. Instead, they explained that they were “panda dogs.”
Visitors have since requested refunds from the park in Guangdong Shanwei, which says it is home to “rare and exotic animals.”
This follows anger in May over Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu province, when it was claimed the zoo had also painted two small chow chow dogs to look like pandas.
The coats of these dogs were clipped short, after which their faces and bodies were painted with black and white paint.
The attraction was quickly criticized by locals, who accused the zoo of animal abuse
The zoo defended the display of the “panda dogs” because there are no real animals on display for visitors.
The Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province, China, unveiled its newest attraction in May, an exhibit featuring two so-called “panda dogs”
The dogs were given a quick grooming before black and white paint was applied to their faces and bodies
The zoo’s new residents drew large crowds during their opening on May 1, but the attraction was quickly criticized by locals who accused the zoo of animal abuse
A zoo spokesperson said at the time: ‘A lot of people come to visit and you have to queue.
‘There are no pandas in the zoo and that’s why we wanted to do this.
‘You can see them between 8:30 and 5:00.’
The spokesperson also responded to the allegations of cruelty, saying: ‘People also dye their hair. Natural dye can be used on dogs if they have long fur.’