Pandamonium in Chinese zoo

A pair of Chow Chows have been causing ‘pandamonium’ after being exhibited as panda dogs in the small Taizhou Zoo in China.

Dogs dyed black and white to look like Pandas

They appear quite oblivious to the fact that they have been dyed black and white with splodges of colour in order to make them appear as panda like as possible.

Whilst some visitors took it in good stead, others have reportedly complained that they have been deceived into believing that the zoo somehow discovered a completely new breed which was related in some way to the Giant Panda.

According to a report in Global News, the English Language media arm of the Chinese Communist Party, the Xiong Mao Quan (Panda Dogs) were unveiled for the May Day holidays with tickets priced at 20 yuan (€2.60) per adult and 10 yuan per child for entry.

A worker employed by the zoo told the Global Times that the zoo does not consider their scheme to be a case of fraud. “This is just a new display we offer to visitors. We are not charging extra. The wording featuring Chow Chow dogs is correct and exactly describes what they are, so we are not cheating our visitors.”

You too can turn your pet into a panda dog

It is reported that the first sighting of a panda dog in China was as long ago as 2009 and recently, a café in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, offered to dye your pet dog’s fur with the classic black and white marking of a panda for only 1,500 yuan (€196).

The zoo claims that the dye is harmless but admits that this promotion has attracted more visitors than usual especially as it is too small to house a Giant Panda.