A zoo in China dyed two Chow Chow dogs black and white in order to resemble baby giant pandas to attract more visitors during the May Day festival that started May 1, multiple outlets reported.
A spokesperson for the zoo explained that since they did not have pandas at their facilities, they “wanted to do this as a result,” the New York Post reported, citing Jam Press. Zoo authorities reportedly added that the dying process was not harmful to the dogs.
Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province dyed two chow chow puppies black and white and promoted them as so-called “panda dogs.” pic.twitter.com/Jo7q1dBzZJ
— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) May 5, 2024
“Natural dye can be used on dogs if they have long fur,” the spokesperson said, according to the New York Post. Heated public discussion over the zoo’s decision has followed this. “Inevitably the visitors will feel disappointed and deceived upon discovering the truth,” unnamed lawyers told media outlets, Global Times reported. The tickets for the event reportedly advertised this attraction as “Xiong Mao Quan” meaning “panda dogs.”
An employee at the zoo defended the marketing tactic. “This is just a new display we offer to visitors. 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,” the worker told Global Times. She also acknowledged an apparent rise in zoo-goers in recent days, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Lincolnshire Wildlife Park Tries Risky New Strategy To Make Parrots Stop Cursing)
Chow Chows are a “medium-to-large-sized dog” breed native to China and are known for their “lion-like appearance and distinctive blue-black tongue,” Dog Time.com reported. The giant panda is the national animal of China, BBC Wildlife Magazine reported.
Chinese authorities recalled three giant pandas on loan to the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. in November, NBC 4 Washington reported. The two elder giant pandas had reportedly been gifted to the zoo in 2000. Chinese President Xi Jinping hinted at sending new giant pandas to the U.S. later in November, referring to the animals as “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples,” according to The Associated Press.