'This is undoubtedly a human being': Chinese zoo furiously denies bear is secretly a human in costume
31 July 2023, 13:40 | Updated: 31 July 2023, 13:46
A Chinese zoo has been forced to deny that one of its bears is secretly a human being in costume.
Footage of the 'bear' has gone viral on Chinese social media, with a number of observers pointing out its unusual posture and body language.
The video has people convinced Hangzhou Zoo has got one of its employees to dress up as a bear.
One person said: "Its posture is more (upright) than humans!” said one.
Another added: “Bears’ forelimbs cannot be spread out to the sides. This is undoubtedly a human being.”
But the zoo has furiously hit back, insisting the bear is actually a bear.
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
"In the summer, temperatures can rise to nearly 40C. If a person did wear a bear costume, they would be lying down within minutes due to the heat," a spokesman said.
In a separate video, imitating the bear's voice, the spokesperson said: "Some people think I stand like a person. It seems you don’t understand me very well."
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According to the zoo's deputy director, Jiang Zhi, the bear has a slimmer physique than other black or brown bears.
The sun bear is smaller than a grizzly bear, standing at around 1.3m. That's significantly smaller than the 2.8m grizzly bears stand at, they said.
It is not the first time an animal has been pointed out as a suspected human being at a zoo in China.
In 2019, gorillas at Changzhou zoo were actually humans in costumes. It was apparently an April Food's day prank.
