In a surprising incident at Shanwei Zoo in China, visitors were baffled when what seemed to be pandas began displaying unusual behaviors, such as panting and barking. This odd behavior led many to suspect that the animals were not the pandas they had been led to believe.
Amid public backlash, zoo officials were forced to admit their deceptive actions. They revealed that the supposed pandas were actually chow chows, dyed black and white to resemble the famous bears, as reported by the New York Post. The ruse, which misled countless visitors, soon became the subject of ridicule.
Glitch in the Matrix: China zoo forced to admit the truth after one of their “pandas” started panting and barking. The Shanwei zoo admits they painted dogs white and black to make them look like pandas. pic.twitter.com/5SWDlpOSqB
— SynCronus (@syncronus) September 19, 2024
Videos surfaced showing one of the ‘pandas’ panting on a rock, while another wandered with a curly tail. At first, the zoo tried to defend itself by claiming the animals were “panda dogs,” but the truth quickly came out.
Once visitors realized they had been fooled, many demanded refunds from the zoo. The incident sparked a wave of mockery on social media, with users poking fun at the situation. One visitor remarked, “How could they even think we wouldn’t notice? A panda with a curly tail and barking?” while another added, “Truly made in China.”
This is not the first time a Chinese zoo has faced such controversy. In May, Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province was similarly criticized for dyeing chow chows to look like pandas. A spokesperson for Taizhou Zoo explained at the time, “There are no panda bears at the zoo, and we wanted to create this experience instead.”
