Hotel’s Unusual Wake-up Call Using Red Pandas Ends

It seems that the furry little creatures have garnered quite the attention.

Recent reports indicate that a hotel in China has come under scrutiny for utilizing endangered red pandas as a unique method to wake their guests.

The Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Holiday Hotel, nestled in the mountains near Chongqing, was promoting “Red Panda-themed Holidays” for its visitors, as noted in various media outlets.

In these morning sessions, adorable and fluffy pandas were brought into guests’ rooms, providing an interactive experience for those seeking something special.

This unusual practice, however, didn’t go unnoticed for long. Some British tourists, along with YouTubers, have shared videos of their experiences at Lehe Ledu, showcasing these charming animals.

In a video titled “Dridgers With Tour,” the handler is seen guiding one of these well-kept pandas into a guest room where it playfully climbed onto the bed.

A content creator named Reanne Ridger even managed to feed and hug the cute creature during her visit, and the footage quickly caught the attention of many.

The media coverage, particularly a piece in a popular Chinese magazine highlighted by The Times of London, raised significant concerns regarding the hotel’s practices.

This spotlight attracted local forest officials, who were understandably shocked by what they were seeing.

In response, the Chongqing Forestry Bureau has mandated that the hotel immediately cease any direct interaction between guests and the red pandas. Failure to comply could result in legal action against the hotel.

Interestingly, the Global Times, a state-backed Chinese newspaper, echoed these concerns in a harsh critique of the hotel’s use of pandas for entertainment.

Staff members at the hotel claimed they rented the pandas from a nearby zoo and took measures to ensure the animals’ well-being, stating that each panda was vaccinated and tended to by dedicated caretakers.

Since 2018, such “close contact” activities with wildlife have been prohibited in China, given that they were typically a source of income for establishments like this hotel.

It’s worth noting that despite their name, red pandas aren’t bears. They’re actually more closely related to raccoons and hold the status of a protected species in China.