Zoo in China Paints Dogs to Look Like Pandas: A Creative Yet Controversial Move

Many visitors to zoos come to see rare animals. For instance, some zoos around the world advertise unusual species right from the entrance. This is part of the natural marketing strategy of a zoo. In Berlin, you can see unique pandas, while other zoos feature birds found nowhere else.

At the Taiyu Zoo in China, a unique decision was made. Understanding the public's demand for pandas, but without any on hand, they opted to paint other animals as pandas. When guests arrived, they were surprised to learn that the 'pandas' weren't bears at all, but disguised dogs. It turns out the zoo decided to display two Chow Chow dogs with painted fur.

Ms. Chen, a tourist in the area, photographed the 'panda dogs' and posted the images on social networks. 'I passed by the zoo and saw many people,' she wrote. 'The road was full of cars, and there was a traffic jam, so I simply got out of my car and bought a ticket for 20 yuan. Later, I heard many asking where the panda was, so I followed the crowd. When I arrived, I discovered the attraction wasn't an actual panda, but a dog dressed up as one.'

It's important to note that the zoo management did not deny this. They stressed it wasn't a real panda. 'We don't have pandas, so we wanted to fill the gap,' they explained to the public, who were seemingly satisfied that children believed they were seeing pandas.

Even without actual pandas, many visitors gathered around the enclosure, making it a popular spot in the zoo. Some visitors opposed this and claimed it 'harms the dogs.' One zoo employee told the media, 'People dye their hair, so dogs can also dye their fur. It's no different from hair dyeing.'