Advertisement
‘Panda dogs’ in China zoo spark row as pups are actually dyed canines, practice triggers allegations of animal cruelty
- Visitors throng to see pets which look like pandas, but are cheaper to keep
- Zoo accused of animal abuse, experts say dyes damage canine health
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
1
![A zoo in China is facing allegations of animal cruelty for putting dyed dogs on display which look like, but are not, Giant Pandas. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo/163.com](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/05/09/372fb26b-1309-4b3c-8388-20cbf0493fce_56ca934c.jpg?itok=8jXkAc_r&v=1715235554)
Two extremely popular so-called panda dogs at a zoo in China are actually chow canines dyed black and white to look like the wild bears.
Advertisement
On May 3, a video of the panda-like dogs at Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu province, eastern China, received 1.1 million likes on Douyin.
“After entering the zoo, I heard many people asking where the pandas were. Then I followed the crowd, and it wasn’t until I reached the enclosure that I realised they were actually dogs,” one visitor said.
Admission to see the dogs is included in the zoo’s general entry ticket, which costs 20 yuan (US$2.8) per adult.
The zoo states on tickets and signs that the animals are dogs not pandas.
![](https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/_next/static/media/wheel-on-gray.af4a55f9.gif)
Advertisement