Hotel in China rapped by wildlife officials for using endangered red pandas to wake up guests
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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, situated in the mountains near Chongqing, provides guests with the opportunity to enjoy a “red panda-themed holiday,” where the endangered species are brought into their rooms for wake-up calls, as per a report by The Times of London.


Entrance to the Rivers & Holiday Rezen Hotel in China.
The hotel brought the endangered species into guests’ rooms for wake-up calls. GoogleMaps.com

During these morning interactions, the charming, furry animals are taken into the luxurious hotel rooms to engage with the guests who have opted for this special experience.

This distinctive encounter remained unknown to wildlife authorities in the Communist nation until it gained popularity when a British tourist and YouTuber couple shared a viral video featuring the pandas at 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.


Red panda at the Paris zoo.
Hotel staff told the outlet that they borrowed the pandas from a local zoo. AFP via Getty Images

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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