Taizhou Zoo in China’s Jiangsu province has created a real miracle. For a few days it has probably become the most famous zoo in the world for its pandas. And he did it without owning a single panda. He didn’t need bears or anything even remotely resembling them. If he managed to sneak into the media of half the planet, then Global Times with Mirror anyone New York HarborThis is because he wanted to increase the flow of visitors and created his own version of the panda, creatures that went viral.

He used chow chow dogs and paint to do this.

In the absence of pandas… Well they are dogs. Or at least that’s what the people in charge of the Taizhou Zoo in China thought. Although the Asian giant is famous for being the home of pandas and even created a peculiar system of international diplomacy around its figure, there were no specimens under the protection of this enclosure in Jiangsu province. But the absence of pandas does not mean that those in charge are willing to give up on these very popular ursids and therefore decided to create their own version: “Chow chow panda.”

Click on the image to go to the tweet.

Chow chow “tuned”. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And Taizhou pandas are clear proof of this. In the absence of pandas, the zoo opted to take Chow Chows, a strong, long-haired dog breed native to northern China, and subject them to “grooming” to look as similar as possible to the famous bamboo-eating pandas. bears.

Zoo staff cut his hair and dyed it black and white, leaving his ears and eyes dark. The result can be seen in photos and videos published by Jam Press and collected by media from half the planet: fluffy, short, panting creatures that would probably be referred to simply as pandas to someone who has never seen or looked at a panda in person before… a picture.

But why? That’s the million dollar question. If it’s so obvious that these aren’t pandas, why are we showing samples of customized dishes? After all, the city of Taizhou is some distance from the temperate forests of Southwest China, where the existence of bears has been documented, but China is the land of pandas. The statements made by the zoo are confusing, to say the least. And these only served to further fuel the debate.

Click on the image to go to the tweet.

Deception or master move? Admitting that the enclosure did not meet the conditions to accommodate the bears, those in charge decided to improvise: “There are no pandas in the zoo, and as a result we wanted to do this.” They admit that the idea was taken from the Internet with a clear purpose: “To increase entertainment and visitor flow.” So can it be said that there is cheating involved? They don’t see it that way.

The reason for this is also simple: the tickets that visitors bought for 20 or 10 yuan mentioned Xiong Mao Quan, which can be translated as “panda dogs”, despite the Chinese newspaper. Global Times Language, he adds, is “deceptive.” Some media outlets even claim that the center is advertising a “new breed.” “Visitors inevitably feel disappointed and misled.”

Click on the image to go to the tweet.

Criticisms… and responses. Things probably didn’t go as expected at the Taizhou Zoo. Images and videos of their strange pandas went viral on networks and were chronicled in media outlets around the world. The decision to change the color of the dogs’ fur has earned the management its share of criticism, but the center questions whether the decision could be accused of cruelty. “People also dye their hair,” says a spokesperson: “If dogs have long fur, you can use natural dye.”

Of course, there are those who admire Chow Chow Pandas and praise them, calling them “cute” or “attractive”. Others are ironic: “An extreme way to care for your dogs while you’re at work.”

pandog fashion. The topic of “panda dogs” may seem interesting, especially behind the walls of the zoo, but this phenomenon is not entirely new. It has been known in Asia for years and bears its name, “Pandogs”, which consists of cutting and dyeing the fur of some dogs to resemble baby pandas. At least in 2004, there was a pet store in Sichuan province that sold chicken food customized this way.

The incident in Taizhou is not the first surreal controversy by a Chinese zoo: Less than a year ago, a facility in Hangzhou was forced to deny the presence of a man dressed as a bear after photos showed the animal standing upright. It resembles humans and has wrinkled skin.

Image | Pascal Müller (Unsplash)

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