Chinese zoo admits to using dogs as fake pandas after one caught barking

A zoo in China’s Guangdong province admitted to passing off two painted Chow Chows as “panda dogs” after a public backlash.

The revelation came when one of the supposed pandas was reportedly caught panting and barking, leading visitors to demand refunds. A video showing one of them panting with its tongue out has gone viral on social media. In response to the outrage, the Shanwei-based zoo, named “Strange Animals and Cute Pets Paradise,” said the phony pandas are actually among their best attractions. “These are Chow Chow dogs being painted as pandas, as this is part of our specialties,” Huang, the zoo’s manager, told local media.

The backlash echoes a similar scandal at the Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu province in May, which saw the facility insist that its “panda dogs” were dyed with safe, non-toxic dyes.