Even the mascots of the Middle Kingdom are not immune to counterfeit Chinese rings.
Pandamonium caused an uproar at a Chinese zoo after a dog was dressed up as a panda because there were no real artifacts, photos posted online show.
The fake panda unveiled on May 1 at the Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu province was actually a chow chow dog, a large-haired breed native to northern China, Jam Press reported.
Zoo officials reportedly cut off the bear's mane and dyed its face black to make it look like China's iconic bamboo-eating bear.
According to officials at the sanctuary, they exhibited the so-called “panda dogs” in an enclosure from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, drawing large crowds despite the apparent bamboo fence. That's what it means.
When asked why they had the dogs cosplay as pandas, the person in charge explained, “There are no pandas at the zoo, so we wanted to do something like this as a result.''
Many visitors accused the sanctuary of animal cruelty. However, zoo officials insist: dog fishing This plan is not harmful to animals.
“People also dye their hair,” the spokesperson justified. “If your dog has long hair, you can use natural dyes.”
Many social media users agreed with the canine in a panda suit, with one fan writing: I think they are lovely. ”
“I think it's cute,” said another.
A third person quipped: “It's an extreme way to take care of a dog while you're at work lol.” [sic]
Transforming dogs into pandas is nothing new.
Ten years ago, puppies dressed as bamboo-eating bears became a luxury item, and pet stores couldn't keep up with demand.
“Ten years ago, the natural instinct of Chinese people was to eat dogs,” Xin Chen, a pet shop owner in Chengdu, Sichuan province, told London's Metro newspaper. “Now, like Westerners, we are looking for someone as a companion. Frenchmen used to like cute dog breeds like bulldogs and Labradors, but now panda dogs are popular.”