Panda-monium: Circus busted for disguising dogs as exotic bears

Friday, December 26, 2014, 6:15 PM - Many children were understandably disillusioned after Italian authorities revealed that the pandas they had patted and posed in pictures with while visiting a local circus, were actually furry dogs in disguise.

According to local police, staff at the itinerant Orfei circus painted black and white patches on two chow-chow puppies to trick the public into believing the the dogs were panda bears. 

Children who wished to take photos with the "rare Chinese bears" were asked to pay a fee for the "panda" privilege. 

Authorities raided the circus located near the northern town of Brescia, after a tip-off by animal activists.

Photo from Corpo forestale dello Stato (Italy's State Forestry Police)

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Officials said the dogs were in general good health but had particularly watery eyes. This was “probably aggravated by the continuous exposure to camera flashes”, Italy’s environmental police said in a statement. 

The Orfei circus has denied the allegations, saying they never claimed the dogs were pandas. 

"It's obvious they are dogs," circus secretary, Riccardo Gravina told IBTimes UK. "No animal was mistreated," he added. "They are like children to us".

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