A zoo in southern China’s Guangdong province has been caught in a shocking deception, admitting that two of its main attractions, supposedly pandas, were in fact Chow Chow dogs painted to resemble the beloved national animal.
The scandal came to light after a visitor’s video, showing the painted dogs, went viral on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, garnering over 1.4 million views and 725,000 likes.
The footage sparked widespread outrage and disbelief, with many calling out the zoo for its dishonesty.
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In a surprising move, the zoo has openly admitted to the deception, with signage at the facility explaining that the dogs were “painted dogs” and not actual pandas. According to zoo manager Huang, the painted dogs were one of the zoo’s top attractions, with visitors flocking to see the supposed pandas.
This is not the first time Chinese establishments have been caught using animals disguised as pandas.
In May, a zoo in eastern Jiangsu province was criticized for painting two dogs to resemble pandas, leading to public outrage and an eventual confession from the zoo. Similarly, a café in Chengdu offered dyeing services for pets to resemble pandas, while pet shops in Guangdong were caught selling dogs dyed to look like miniature tigers in 2016.
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