The Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province, China, is facing backlash after visitors discovered that the advertised “panda dogs” were actually chow chow dogs with their fur dyed to resemble pandas.
The exhibit, which opened on May 1, claimed to showcase rare “panda dogs.” However, visitors were surprised to find dogs instead of pandas, with their fur painted to mimic the iconic black and white bears.
Despite the zoo’s explanation that they wanted to provide visitors with a panda-like experience since they don’t have real pandas, many people criticized the exhibit as deceptive.
While the zoo insists that the dyeing process didn’t harm the dogs, animal rights activists argue that using animals for entertainment in this way is unethical.
The controversy has sparked a wider discussion about the responsibilities of zoos in accurately representing the animals in their care and the ethics of using animals for human entertainment.
