Chinese zoo admits their ‘pandas’ are just dogs painted black and white

A Chinese zoo has been forced to come clean after bizarre footage of their ‘pandas’ shocked the world.

A Chinese zoo has been forced to come clean about their bizarre-looking ‘pandas’ that left many scratching their heads.

Visitors to the Shanwei Zoo in China’s eastern Guangdong province were excited to see ‘pandas’ advertised but were left bewildered after the ‘bears’ began panting and barking in their enclosure.

Mind-boggling footage of the animals quickly went viral and left many to come to the obvious conclusion that these were in fact, not real pandas.

Facing pressure, the zoo initially tried to claim the animals were a rare breed of “panda dogs.”

However they were soon forced to admit they had just dyed two puppies black and white to resemble pandas.

A clip of the 'pandas' went viral. Picture: Asiawire

The zoo finally admitted to dying dogs to look like pandas. Picture: Asiawire

The two “panda dogs” were Chow Chows, a type of spitz dog with a thick coat from northern China.

With their pudgy face and stocky frame, many believe the pups were chosen as they may have easily resembled a bear over other breeds.

Chow Chows are known for their distinctive lion-like mane and are very popular in China due to being one of the oldest and most iconic breeds originating from the country.

They hold a special place in Chinese culture and history, often depicted in art and literature and they remain a symbol of nobility and prestige.

Enraged visitors have since demanded their money back from the zoo, which says it is home to “rare and exotic animals”.

It is not the first time a zoo in China has faced backlash over a similar scam.

Back in May, a group of fake pandas were discovered at the Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province, where zookeepers again dyed the faces of several Chow Chows and put them on display.

Visitors were suspicious after the 'pandas' were barking and panting. Picture: Asiawire

When asked why they had tried to trick visitors, a representative for the zoo simply said that “there are no panda bears at the zoo and we wanted to do this as a result.”

Both furious locals and animal rights groups worldwide have slammed the act as animal cruelty.

Dying any animal’s fur can be extremely dangerous and even fatal. Some pets can sustain serious burns or be killed by the deadly toxins in the dye.

“No animal has a natural desire or need to be dyed, pierced, tattooed, mutilated, or modified in any other way to appeal to humans’ aesthetic preferences,” People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said on their website.

“Although routine grooming is necessary and important for many companion animals, unnatural beauty procedures that don’t benefit an animal’s health and wellbeing should never be performed — there’s simply too much risk and absolutely no need.

“Forcing an animal to endure this kind of suffering isn’t trendy — it’s abusive.”

Many zoos has been accused of dying dogs for their 'panda' exhibitions. Picture: Getty

Last year, a bizarre clip of a bear appearing to be a person in costume at the Hangzhou Zoo in China shocked the world.

Many believed it was a human in disguise, however the zoo denied this and stated it was simply a Malaysian sun bear that “looks different” to other bears.

Logan Dudley, a carnivore keeper in charge of Taronga Zoo’s sun bear Mary, said the bear’s baggy skin and ability to stand on its hind legs are traits shared among the species.

“I have seen the video – I don’t think it’s a person dressed up as a sun bear,” she said.

“The standing-up behaviour seen in that video is a natural behaviour some bears display in the wild. We also see it with our sun bear here in Taronga.

“This behaviour usually occurs when a sun bear is reaching up into the forest canopy for food.”

Originally published as Chinese zoo admits their ‘pandas’ are just dogs painted black and white