Every so often, a story surfaces that seems so exquisitely bizarre you have to double-check you’re not reading something straight off a novelty fortune cookie. Such is the case this week with news that a Chinese hotel has been offering guests what might be the only wake-up service in the world featuring endangered mammals leaping onto your bed. Yes, you read that right: at the Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Holiday Hotel in Chongqing, red pandas have been making the rounds from guestroom to guestroom, gently rousing the jetlagged and the eager in equal measure—at least until the authorities intervened, as reported by The Independent and Travel And Tour World.
Good Morning, There’s a Red Panda on Your Duvet
Describing a service that could have come out of a particularly whimsical travel brochure, both outlets detail how the hotel had, until recently, invited four “resident” red pandas to take turns visiting guests each morning. According to The Independent, the experience involved a staff member guiding the red panda along the hotel corridors, into a guest’s bedroom, and allowing the animal to roam freely—often climbing onto the bed of its unsuspecting hosts.
A particularly vivid illustration of the proceedings is provided by a British couple, Reanne and Ben, whose experience was documented on their YouTube channel “On Tour With Dridgers.” Footage reviewed by both The Independent and Travel And Tour World shows the panda ambling through a courtyard, entering the couple’s room, enthusiastically accepting apple chunks, and hopping onto the bed for a brief but memorable encounter. Their excitement is palpable, with Reanne exclaiming, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’ve got a panda on my bed.”
Reviews aggregated from online platforms, as highlighted in The Independent, reflect that this red panda wake-up service was a major attraction for guests—some apparently checking in for the sole purpose of this unusual morning ritual. Judging by the reactions, it’s not every day you can literally share your duvet with a protected species.
When Cute Becomes Complicated
Despite the undeniable appeal, the service drifted precariously close to an ethical cliff. The local Chongqing Forestry Bureau, as outlined in both The Independent and Travel And Tour World, instructed the hotel to immediately halt all close-contact activities involving the red pandas after concerns were raised about human safety and animal welfare. The Bureau, following reports from animal welfare groups and international observers, was motivated by potential risks—including stress responses in the animals and dangers of disease transmission.
Explaining the procedure, hotel staff told China Newsweek (as cited by The Independent) that the four red pandas, temporarily borrowed from a local zoo, rotated through guest room visits, always escorted by staff. Guests were allowed to offer fruit and caresses, and hotel policy mandated that young children be accompanied by adults. The staff emphasized that all pandas were vaccinated and under constant care from trained keepers.
Animal experts have weighed in as well. Sun Quanhui, a scientist with the World Animal Protection organization, told the Global Times (quoted in The Independent and also summarized by Travel And Tour World) that red pandas are a nationally protected wild species, ill-suited for use as pets or tourist entertainment. He noted their naturally sensitive dispositions and pointed out the likelihood that such forced interactions could provoke significant stress.
Ethics—Not Just for Humans
Looking at the situation through the lens of broader trends, Travel And Tour World notes that uproar over the wake-up calls reflects a global push for stricter standards in ethical wildlife tourism. Animal welfare advocates urge caution whenever animals—particularly endangered or protected ones—become the centerpiece of guest experiences. The report mentions that concerns extended beyond the wellbeing of the pandas to possible human health issues, as close animal-human interactions can increase the risk of zoonotic disease transmission.
Further illustrating these concerns, the forestry bureau sent an inspection team for an on-site investigation, with results reportedly pending. As previously reported, the hotel has halted the wake-up calls and, according to Travel And Tour World, has not yet commented on whether other animal-related activities might continue under new guidelines.
The End—For Now—of an Utterly Odd Service
So there you have it: the red panda wake-up call—an idea that, for a time, was stunningly popular, if somewhat surreal. It now appears to be on indefinite hiatus, a casualty of a growing sense worldwide that animal encounters within tourism need to serve the wellbeing of the species involved, not just guest delight.
The story stands as a gentle reminder that even in an era where everything is marketed as an experience, some boundaries are best respected—especially when it comes to living, breathing creatures. There’s a certain ingenuity in the concept, undeniably, but it leaves us wondering: As hoteliers compete for ever more memorable guest amenities, is the future of the wake-up call destined to involve (slightly) less endangered wildlife?
