Close Contact with Endangered Species
Service Ultimately Suspended
A hotel in Chongqing, China, sparked controversy and ultimately suspended its morning call service featuring endangered red pandas.
On June 18, Chinese media outlets such as The Paper reported that the hotel in question had been offering a "Red Panda Morning Call" experience, allowing guests to meet a red panda inside their room during morning hours.
Hotel staff would bring one of the four red pandas under their care into a guest's room, allowing direct interaction, and at times, the animal would even climb onto the bed to wake the guest. This room was sold for up to $420 (approximately 570,000 KRW) per night. Photos and videos posted by travel influencers quickly went viral on social networking services (SNS).
However, after local media reported on the service involving direct contact between red pandas and people, a debate over "animal abuse" erupted online in China. Red pandas are an internationally endangered species, with fewer than 10,000 left in the wild. Critics argued that frequent human contact could cause stress and have negative effects on the animals. There were also concerns that sudden behavioral changes could pose a risk of injury to guests.
A photo of the "Lesser Panda Morning Call" that spread through SNS. Although it was a unique service that attracted attention, there were continuous criticisms that close contact with an endangered species was excessive. Screenshot from Xiaohongshu
On SNS, images appeared showing children and red pandas sitting together on beds, as well as videos of red pandas exposing their backs to receive human touch. There was strong criticism, including claims that "animals are being treated as objects for consumption" and that "this could cause stress in a way that borders on abuse."
The hotel explained, "The red pandas were temporarily borrowed from a nearby zoo and are being vaccinated and monitored for health." However, as the controversy intensified, the Chongqing Forestry Bureau on June 17 (local time) ordered the hotel to immediately cease close contact between red pandas and guests, and dispatched investigators to the site to conduct an ongoing investigation.
The red panda is an internationally endangered species and is listed under CITES Appendix I. In China, it is also designated as a nationally protected animal, making its sale, purchase, and use generally prohibited. However, exceptions are made for scientific research, public exhibitions, and performances, provided that special permission is obtained from local authorities.
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