Hotel in China rapped by wildlife officials for using endangered red pandas to wake up guests
They're alarmingly cute.
A hotel in China has been rapped by local wildlife officials for using endangered red pandas during wake-up calls for guests, according to a report.
The Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Holiday Hotel, located in the mountains near Chongqing, offered boarders the option of a 'red panda-themed holiday,' which included bringing the endangered species into guests' rooms for wake-up calls, The Times of London reported.
The hotel brought the endangered species into guests' rooms for wake-up calls.
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For the morning meet-ups, the adorable, furry critters would be ushered into plush hotel rooms to interact with guests who shelled out for the special treatment.
The unique experience flew under the radar of wildlife officials in the Communist country — until a British tourist and YouTuber couple went viral with a panda video from Lehe Ledu.
The 'On Tour With Dridgers' video showed an apparent handler lead the well-kept critter into the room and up onto the bed.
Content creator Reanne Ridger fed the bushy, red beast a treat and even stole some cuddles during her brief visit, video showed.
Even more eyes were drawn to the questionable practice after the publication of a feature article in a popular Chinese magazine, the Times of London reported.
However, the publicity also drew the attention of local forestry officials who could barely believe their eyes.
Hotel staff told the outlet that they borrowed the pandas from a local zoo.
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In a statement, Chongqing Forestry Bureau ordered the hotel to immediately halt all 'close contact' between animals and guests and threatened to prosecute the hoteliers for any further infractions, the outlet reported.
China's state-backed newspaper The Global Times issued their own scathing report on the panda pandering.
Hotel staff told that outlet that they borrow the pandas from a local zoo and rotate which critters are called into work.
They further assured that all the red pandas are vaccinated, cleaned, and cared for by dedicated staff, The Global Times reported.
'Close contact' activities have been banned in China since 2018 as the practice was a customary form of income, The Times of London reported.
Despite what its name would indicate, red pandas are not bears, but are closely related to raccoons and are a nationally protected wild species in their native China.
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