🥹 The Most Adorable Scandal at a Chinese Zoo

Chinese Zoo Sparks Outrage Over Fake Pandas

Before we tell you what happened, let’s just take a look at the footage. It’s pretty incriminating — adorable…but incriminating…

Wait…that’s not a panda!

In a bizarre turn of events, a zoo in China left visitors in disbelief when they discovered that the "pandas" on display were actually chow chow dogs dyed to resemble the beloved black and white bears. The zookeepers at Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province took grooming to a whole new level by dyeing the dogs and trimming their fur to mimic panda features, sparking outrage and accusations of both deceit and animal cruelty.

Despite the uproar, the zoo defended its actions, claiming that they simply wanted to offer visitors a panda experience since they didn't have real pandas. They argued that dyeing the dogs was no different from people dyeing their hair, completely overlooking the fact that dogs might not share the same enthusiasm for fashion statements.

Adding insult to injury, the zoo's signboard clarified that the "Panda dogs" were not an actual breed but rather dogs made to look like pandas through grooming. It's almost as if they were saying, "Surprise! It's not a real panda, it's just a dog in disguise!"

Not the First Time

This isn't the first time Chinese zoos have resorted to such tricks due to the absence of actual animals. Here are a list of other incidents that feel like jokes, but really aren’t:

A zoo in Hangzhou dressed a man in a bear costume to fill in for the lack of real bears. Then they actually denied the bear was fake.

A zoo in in a park in Louhe, a city in the central province of Henan, tried to pass a Tibetan Mastiff off as an “African Lion.”

The Guishan Zoo tried to pass inflatable penguins off as real ones.

This one felt like a joke but the zoo actually advertised itself as a place where guests could witness rare animals and learn about wildlife — with the penguins playing a central role in that marketing.

Also, this wasn’t the first time a Chinese Zoo tried to use blow-up animals to fool guests. The same stunt was pulled earlier that year in Nantong.

A Zoo in Dezhou city put a husky in a pen with actual wolves to make it seem like there were more wolves

The Case for Fake Pandas

Just kidding. I’m not gonna make a case that supports this bullsh*t. It’s cute, but like…they dyed a bunch of Chow Chow’s and kept them in a cage and lied to customers about it??

Would I be mad if I saw this? Probably not. Would I be mad if I was lured to a zoo under the impression of being able to see some pandas, and instead I got a bunch of painted Chow Chows? Probably.

Are Chinese Zoos just getting really comfortable with lying to people? Or do they just like pulling pranks. Kind of feels like if you’re dressing a human up as a bear, then it’s a bit. Right? Am I missing something?

“The Squeeze”: Dog News In 60 Seconds

• 🏈 The NFL Draft stage materials will be recycled and used to build a spay and neuter clinic in Detroit.

• 🔥 Air Bud: Terminator Edition. A Midwestern company is selling world's first flame-throwing robot dog.

• 🐒 Uh oh…the Orangutans are evolving…

• 💩 NYC might start providing poop bags for pet parents around the city.

• 🐶 🐶 The Pet Cloning is…multiplying…at a faster rate than anyone thought it would.

• 🧬 Results from a new study suggest no consistent evidence to prove a raw diet is healthier than kibble.

Today’s Last Laugh:

This might be the hardest I’ve ever laughed at a video:

rundownriver

View more on Instagram