Chinese zoo paints dogs as tigers in viral attempt to attract visitors
Instagram: realratedredA zoo in China is facing backlash after painting Chow Chow dogs to make them look like tigers. However, this isn’t the first time they’ve come under fire for fooling their visitors.
The Qinhu Bay Forest Animal Kingdom zoo in Taizhou, China, faced backlash after photos of dogs painted as tigers went viral.
“That’s just inhumane! Absolutely disgusting!” exclaimed an outraged viewer on Instagram.
“This is not ok,” another simply stated.
The breed of dog used was a Chow Chow, a medium-sized dog, originally from Northern China. The zoo appeared to have painted several dogs with orange and black stripes, including their faces and tails. The viral photos depict the Chow Chows roaming in their enclosure.
While most were appalled, many others weren’t surprised by the hoax, saying the stunt was “nothing new in China.”
Some also joked that the deception was similar to how Temu’s website makes their products look more appealing than they actually are, saying the dogs looked like “Temu tigers.”
Qinhu Bay Forest Animal Kingdom zoo claims stunt was “a gimmick”
After local media contacted the Chinese zoo, they claimed to have painted the dogs into a “tiger dog,” not an actual tiger.
The Qinhu Bay Forest Animal Kingdom also stated that the spoof was intended as “a gimmick.” They also made it clear that the Chow Chows had their fur dyed professionally without risk to their health.
This isn’t the first time the Qinhu Bay Forest Animal Kingdom painted a dog to look like a zoo animal, though. In May 2024, they dyed the fur of Chow Chows to make them look like pandas.
“A lot of people are coming to visit them and you need to queue up. There are no panda bears at the zoo and we wanted to do this as a result,” a spokesperson of the zoo said.
In September 2024, another zoo in China, the Shanwei Zoo, dyed the fur of Chow Chows to make them look like pandas as well.
After photos of the panda-like dogs went viral, the zoo denied its act, saying the animal was a “panda dog.”
Eventually, the Shanwei Zoo confessed to the ruse, leading to many zoo-goers requesting their money back.
While it’s not illegal in China to dye dog fur, the several similar occurrences in the zoo community could impact interest, as upset citizens have ignited the call to “shut down” participating zoos.