Sun Bears in China Zoo Suspected to be Fake Following Previous Similar Accusations

A Chinese zoo was accused of dressing up people to look like fake sun bears. Similar claims have previously been made against some other Chinese zoos.

Suspicion as China Zoo Seemed to Have Fake Animals

Following the viral release of a video clip showing a bear rising on its hind legs, a zoo in eastern China has refuted claims that some of its bears may be humans disguised in costumes.

The first image that comes to mind when thinking of bears is one of a massive figure with incredible strength, but not all bears are colossal and danger personified, according to zookeepers at the Hangzhou Zoo. They continued to explain that Malayan bears are relatively small and that they are known as the smallest bear species in the world.

Social media users noticed that a video of a sun bear rising on its hind legs seemed human, with its delicate legs and folds of fur giving the impression that the bear was being played by a human.

Hangzhou Zoo responded to the video by claiming that the public lacks understanding of the species, according to BBC News.

A zoo representative claimed the animal in question was real and claimed that such deceit would not take place at a state-run facility in an audio clip that has been making the rounds on WeChat. He also pointed out that a human wearing a fur bear costume would not survive more than a few minutes in the 104°F summer heat.

A zoo employee claimed that on Monday, encounters with the bears were planned for journalists.

Other Chinese zoos were also accused of trying to pass off donkeys painted to resemble zebras and dogs colored to resemble wolves or African cats, The Guardian reports.

Sun Bears

The Sun Bear is the tiniest, least popular, and one of the rarest bear species. It is additionally referred to as the honey bear due to its love of honey. A white or yellowish spot on the chest clearly distinguishes the sun bear from other bear species.

The zoo stated that sun bears are roughly the size of large dogs and can stand up to 50 inches tall on their hind legs, in contrast to grizzlies and other species which can reach heights of up to 110 inches.

Sun bears are known to be adept climbers and spend a significant amount of time in trees. Their diet consists of termites, other insects, birds, and small rodents, as well as various sweet and other types of fruits.

In the past, the lowland forests of South East Asia were home to many Sun Bears. However, it has largely vanished from the majority of its historical ranges in recent decades. However, Sun Bear can still be seen in large numbers in a few protected places, like Virachey National Park in the Mondolkiri province of Cambodia. Over the past 30 years, it is estimated that the population has decreased by more than 30%.

Threats

The gallbladders along with other body parts of Sun bears, like those of other bears in Asia, are hunted for applications in traditional Chinese medicine that have been disproven by science.

Sometimes, nursing female sun bears are killed, and their cubs are taken away and sold as pets.

Another significant hazard to the limited surviving critical population of the species in question is habitat damage brought on by clearing land for agricultural development and illegal logging, according to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature WWF.