A five-star hotel in China has sparked controversy by using a red panda for morning calls, prompting an investigation and suspension of the service by authorities.
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The establishment, Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Hotel, located in southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, raised public concerns after several guests shared videos of their morning calls delivered by an adorable red panda.
In the footage, the animal climbs onto beds and desks in hotel rooms, where guests are invited to pet and feed it.
Opened in 2010, the hotel is part of a tourist resort that includes a wildlife park and features over 100 rooms. Its service offerings include “getting close to animals”.
The rooms that feature the red panda morning calls are priced between 2,000 and 3,000 yuan (US$280 to US$420) per night, and they remain especially popular among families with children.
The hotel employs four red panda “staff members”, including an adult red panda, about two years old, that provides the morning call service.
Guests typically have a few minutes to interact with the red panda, depending on its mood, with a caretaker present for safety reasons.
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