A zoo in eastern China is denying suggestions some of its bears might be people in costumes after photos of the animals standing like humans were shared online.
The sun bears from Malaysia are smaller than other bears and look different but are the real thing, the Hangzhou Zoo said Monday on its social media account.
“Some people think I stand like a person,” said the posting, written from the bear’s point of view.
“It seems you don’t understand me very well.”
A worker who answered the phone at the zoo declined to talk about the bears but said visits were being arranged for reporters Monday to see them, AP reports.
Internet users questioned whether the zoo’s bears were real after photos circulated showing one standing upright on slender hind legs.
共匪🇨🇳動物園
— 少俠 (@shaoxia33139500) July 30, 2023
動物🐻都是假的
人穿黑熊套皮毛被大陸人發現
共匪邪教鍋什麼都能造假 pic.twitter.com/mOy6J51zIp
“Because of the way they stand, some people online question whether they are ‘humans in disguise,’” the newspaper Hangzhou Daily said.
Sun bears are the size of large dogs, standing at most 1.3 metres (50 inches) tall on their hind legs, compared with up to 2.8 metres (9 feet) for grizzlies and other species, according to the zoo.
Other Chinese zoos have been accused of trying to pass off dogs dyed to look like wolves or African cats, and donkeys painted to look like zebras.
Sun bears, found in southeast Asian forests, are the smallest bear in the world. They weigh between 27 and 65 kg and grow up to 1.2 metres tall.
Their long curved claws are used for tearing or digging for insect nests and colonies, particularly those of bees and termites.
Generally nocturnal, the tree-climbing sun bear is shy but quite intelligent.
It has an orange-yellow chest crescent that, according to legend, represents the rising sun. Other light-coloured features, often including its muzzle and feet, contrast with its black coat of short coarse fur.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources classifies the sun bear as a vulnerable species. Sun bear populations have fallen mainly due to habitat loss and hunting.
