Watch the video:
I mean, you can't blame people for questioning the authenticity of this bear; its stance is truly bizarre and indeed very human-like.
But this zoo has since released a statement assuring everyone that this is not some elaborate hoax and the "bear" is infact a bear.
From The Guardian:
In a statement published on Sunday from the perspective of Angela, a Malaysian sun bear, zookeepers at Hangzhou zoo said: “When it comes to bears, the first thing that comes to mind is a huge figure and amazing power … But not all bears are behemoths and danger personified. We Malayan bears are petite, the smallest bear in the world.”
Video of a sun bear standing on its hind legs had circulated on social media, with people noting that its slender legs and folds of fur made it look like a human was acting the part of the bear.
But in an audio recording circulating on WeChat, a spokesperson for the zoo said the animal was real and that such deception would not happen at a state-run facility. He also noted that in the 40C (104F) summer temperature, a human in a fur bear suit “would not last more than a few minutes before collapsing”.
A zoo employee said visits were being arranged for reporters on Monday to see the bears.
Sun bears are the size of large dogs, standing at most 1.3 metres (50in) tall on their hind legs, compared with up to 2.8 metres 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.
Good grief, who knew zoos were trying to con people this much?
Looks like they're getting desperate to keep their audience entertained these days...
