To go in line with the “1600 Panda World Tour” exhibition currently taking place in Thailand, the Elephantstay at the Royal Elephant Kraal & Village in Ayutthaya deliberately painted the elephants into a panda-like appearance.

The bizarre result of the painting has sparked a series of online debates. Some criticized that the elephants are deprived of their uniqueness. Some commented that since both pandas and elephants belong to endangered animals, the elephants deserve no less public awareness than the pandas do.

The “1600 Pandas” exhibition by French artist Paulo Grangeon spread the message about environmental preservation. The number of pandas represents one of only 1,600 pandas that are left in the wild.