Chinese zoo forced to deny bear is 'human' in disguise

Hangzhou Zoo assured visitors that their animals are real.

A Chinese zoo has been forced to deny that one of its bears is a «person in disguise» after footage of the animal appearing to be standing like a man in a suit sparked rumors.

Sunny bears, originally from Malaysia, are smaller than other species, Hangzhou Zoo insisted and assured visitors that their animals are real.

«Some people think I look human,» the zoo wrote on social media from the point of view of the bear in question.

«You don't seem to understand me very well.»

The zoo released the post after a visitor shared footage of the bear standing up like a human. The widely circulated video shows a sun bear standing upright on thin hind legs, with a wrinkled skin resembling a suit.

The folds mostly gather at the animal's lower back, giving it the appearance of a sagging back.

The bear stands in the enclosure in front of visitors, stretching out its paws, balancing on a stone. He eventually gets tired and sits down.

«Because of the way they stand, some people on the Internet are wondering if they are 'people in disguise',» according to Chinese newspaper Hangzhou Daily.

p>< p>Sun bears are about the size of a large dog and stand no more than 1.3 meters (50 inches) tall on their hind legs, compared to 2.8 meters (9 feet) for grizzlies and other species, according to the Hangzhou Zoo. /p>

According to a study by Cambridge University Press, the skin of animals is loose, which means that sometimes it forms wrinkles on the forehead and folds in the lower back when they stand.

Hangzhou Zoo said visits were arranged for journalists to prove their veracity.

The spokesman also pointed to sweltering summer temperatures in China, saying that a person cannot wear a thick bear suit in 40-degree heat.

“If you force someone to wear such thick fur in this summer heat, they won't last much longer. than a few minutes before they need to go to bed,” they told Beijing Radio and Television.

Other Chinese zoos have previously been accused of trying to pass on dogs painted to look like wolves or African cats and donkeys painted to look like zebra