Charlotte Foster
International Travel

Chinese zoo's "panda" display under fire

A zoo in China has come under fire after visitors noticed something strange about the baby panda display. 

Taizhou Zoo, in the eastern Jiangsu Province, advertised their baby panda enclosure, which was actually just two small Chow Chow dogs dyed black and white. 

The tickets to the display which are believed to have gone public late last week, read "Xiong Mao Quan" which translates to "panda dogs", Chinese newspaper The Global Times reported.

Footage of the animals in the enclosure has gone viral, with many sharing their confusion over the zoo's special enclosure. 

A staff member at the zoo, Liu Qiuming, told the local publication the panda scheme was used to attract more visitors and better their experience, as the zoo does not have any pandas of its own.

The display has reportedly raised concerns of fraud but another staffer has insisted the zoo has not tricked or manipulated its visitors, given the direct translation of the exhibit. 

"This is just a new display we offer to visitors. We are not charging extra," a ticket seller told The Global Times.

"The wording featuring Chow Chow dogs is correct and exactly describes what they are, so we are not cheating our visitors."

Image credits: X (Twitter)

Tags:
international travel, China, zoo, panda