A zoo that compensated for not being given any giant pandas has become a laughing stock after colouring two Chow Chow dogs black and white to make them look like pandas.

The hilarious video of the panda-like dogs on display at the Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province has actually made them incredibly popular with visitors.

Local media confirmed that despite the superficial similarity they were still dogs that had been dyed white and black to give them a panda-like appearance.

A spokesman for Taizhou Zoo confirmed that they had purchased the panda dogs because they were not allowed to have any real pandas, and they were in fact a pair of Chow Chows.

They added they had been pleasantly surprised by the reaction among visitors, who appeared to really like visiting the panda dogs.

As a national treasure, giant pandas are only allocated to certain zoos that match certain conditions, with fierce competition to win the chance to have them on display.

Taizhou Zoo is not the first to dress Chow Chows like pandas. Public reports show that in 2014, two dogs from an Italian circus were confiscated by the police on the grounds that they were painted black and white to resemble pandas.

In 2016, on Orchard Road in Singapore, someone also led three “giant pandas” while shopping. They were also three dyed chow chows. Dog owners stress that the dye is all natural and very safe.

Online commentators like ‘Zhiqiu Y3V’ said: “Adults and children want to be happy, so why are they so serious? The panda dog written on the brand is not a lie.”

And user ‘Third Eye Deep Pupil LY’ said: “Don’t make a fuss, as long as you don’t abuse animals and the tourists are happy.”

While the user ‘Thirty Six Degrees Celsius’ said: “The dog suffers.”