A Chinese zoo hit back Monday against allegations that its sun bears are actually humans in costume.
Some had argued the bears weren’t real based on how they stood up like humans, the Associated Press (AP) reported. A spokesperson from the Hangzhou Zoo in eastern China took to social media to craft a post from the Sun Bear’s point of view.
“Some people think I stand like a person,” the post from the zoo read, according to AP. “It seems you don’t understand me very well.” The post also noted the zoo’s Malaysian sun bears are much smaller than other kinds of bears. (RELATED: Mini Pig Defends Farm From Bear)
Users commented that the folds on the animal’s skin look like a coat of some sort or a loose-fitted costume.https://t.co/O4A7hOR6oE
— SAYS (@saysdotcom) July 31, 2023
Netizens challenged the legitimacy of the bears on display at the zoo, arguing they resembled the way humans stand up with their slim legs. Others commented that the bear looked man-like due to the folds on its coat resembling a “loose-fitted costume,” SAYS.com reported, citing Chinese outlet Zhejiang News.
WATCH: 🐻 A viral video of a black sun bear at the Hangzhou Zoo in China’s Zhejiang province has some netizens convinced that it is a human in disguise. The zoo has since spoken out to quell the rumours, maintaining that it is “definitely a real animal”. pic.twitter.com/hzHOZSnLPT
— TODAY (@TODAYonline) July 31, 2023
Sun bears are about the same size as a larger-sized dog, “standing at most 1.3 meters (50 inches) tall on their hind legs, compared with up to 2.8 meters (9 feet) for grizzlies and other species,” AP reported, citing the zoo. (RELATED: Here’s A Nine-Minute Video Of ‘The Longest, Most Intense’ Alaskan Grizzly Bear Fight)
The animals are also an endangered species, with 2,000 of them alive around the world (not including those in captivity), according to Our Endangered World.