Suspicious zoo visitors realise 'panda bears' aren't what they seem - when they start barking

Suspicious zoo goers demanded their money back when a "panda" started barking in their enclosures.

The park in Guanguan, China, entices visitors to see its “rare and exotic” animals, including its incredible pandas. However some were not certain all was as it appeared and their suspicions were confirmed when the “pandas” started barking.

Incredibly, staff attempted to explain the animals were “panda dogs”. However, they later came clean and admitted the animals were two Chow Chow dogs which had been dyed to resemble pandas when quizzed by local media.

The large dogs come from Northern China and are famous for their thick coats. Visitors said they became suspicious of the way the pandas panted before they started barking.

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Earlier this year Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province, China, also dyed two Chow Chow dogs to look like rare panda bears. The zoo presented the “panda dogs”, with trimmed fur and black and white dye on their faces and bodies, to the public as they did not have any of the real animals for visitors.

Images of the 'exhibits' were shared on social media, prompting some locals to accuse the zoo of animal cruelty but the zoo responded to critics with a bizarre comment. A zoo spokesperson said in response: “People also dye their hair. Natural dye can be used on dogs if they have long fur.

“There are no panda bears at the zoo and we wanted to do this as a result. A lot of people are coming to visit them and you need to queue up. You can see them from between 8.30am and 5pm.”

A worker at the zoo denied accusations of false advertising and told the outlet on Monday, Sky reports, saying: "This is just a new display we offer to visitors. We are not charging extra. The wording featuring chow chow dogs is correct and exactly describes what they are, so we are not cheating our visitors."