A tiger may never change its stripes, but a Chinese zoo tried to change another animal into a tiger.
According to the Daily Mail, the Qinhu Bay Forest Animal Kingdom caused controversy after painting Chow Chow dogs in an effort to make them look like the orange- and black-striped big cats.
The zoo later called the dye job a “gimmick” to present the Chow Chows as a “‘tiger dog’, not a tiger.'” It added that the stunt was done by a professional and doesn’t pose any health risks.
Hopefully nobody is tricked into thinking that it’s OK to pet tigers like you would dogs. Tigers may be friend-shaped, but they are not friendly.