A Chinese zoo is under fire for deceiving visitors by painting dogs to resemble tigers. The Qinhu Bay Forest Animal Kingdom in Taizhou faced criticism after a video surfaced on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, showing a Chow Chow puppy dyed with tiger-like stripes. The video quickly went viral, drawing attention to the zoo’s controversial stunt.

This incident follows a similar scandal at the Shanwei Zoo, where dogs were painted to resemble pandas. The recent video from Qinhu Bay shows the dyed dog playfully running inside a pen, sparking immediate reactions online. Social media users quickly exposed the trick, with one comment saying, “Isn’t that just a dog?” and another humorously adding, “Last year it was a panda, this year it’s a tiger. Watch out for next year.”

After facing media scrutiny, the zoo admitted to the act, clarifying that the animal was a Chow Chow puppy, not a tiger, and had been dyed to look like a “tiger dog.” Further images revealed two other dogs, also painted to mimic tigers, though they are typically white in color.

Despite the outrage, the zoo defended its actions, calling the dyeing a harmless “gimmick” and assuring the public that it was done professionally and without harming the animals.