Photos posted online by netizens of young children closely interacting with red pandas on beds at a Chongqing hotel, with the caption reading "wake-up call service from red pandas," have sparked heated online discussions, China Newsweek reported on Wednesday.
Some netizens warned of potential dangers, noting that red pandas have a strong bite force and that their close contact with young children could pose safety risks.
In response, an official from the Chongqing Forestry Bureau told the China Newsweek on Tuesday that the bureau has ordered the hotel involved, Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Holiday Hotel, to immediately cease all close-contact activities between visitors and wild animals.
The bureau has also dispatched a team to conduct on-site investigation and verification, and said it will release updates and results of the investigation in due course.
Booking platform listings show that the hotel offers red panda-themed rooms. Many parents wrote in reviews that they specifically booked the hotel with these rooms priced at around 2,000 yuan ($278.35) to 3,000 yuan per night for their children to experience the "red panda wake-up call" service, noting such rooms are in high demand.
According to staff at the hotel, four red pandas are kept on-site and take turns participating in the "wake-up call" room visits. At 9:30 am, a staff member leads one red panda into guest rooms, where it roams freely and "sometimes climbs onto the bed." Guests are allowed to interact with it. The visit usually lasts a few minutes, "depending on the red panda's mood that day," China Newsweek reported.
Responding to concerns about injury or disease transmission, hotel staff said the red pandas were borrowed from a zoo and are kept at the hotel. They have been vaccinated and are cared for and cleaned by dedicated staff. The hotel also recommended that young children be accompanied by parents during interactions.
Public records show that the red panda is a second-class protected animal in China and has been listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, Jiemian News reported on Wednesday.
Red pandas are a nationally protected wild species and should not be kept as pets or used for tourism-related entertainment, Sun Quanhui, a scientist from the World Animal Protection organization, told the Global Times on Wednesday. He noted that using red pandas for "wake-up call service" violates their natural behavior and could even constitute animal abuse.
According to Sun, red pandas are naturally sensitive animals, and being forced to interact with guests in unfamiliar environments can trigger stress responses, harming both their physical and psychological well-being. As wild animals, red pandas may react aggressively when frightened. Moreover, wild animals often carry various pathogens, and vaccines can only prevent a limited number of diseases. Close contact with humans still carries the risk of virus transmission. In fact, there have been past incidents where red pandas bit hotel guests, Sun said.
Commercial activities involving close interaction with wild animals not only pose public safety risks but also send misleading signals about wildlife conservation, Sun added. Wild animals are sentient beings and should not be exploited as tools for entertainment or profit.
By Du Qiongfang
