Bear Truth: Are the bears in a China zoo actually humans in costumes?

A standing bear is a majestic sight to behold. However, at a Chinese zoo, the bear was acting so humanely that it led people to doubt whether it was a real bear or not. The zoo in eastern China has now denied suggestions that some of its bears might be people in costumes, after photos of the animals standing like humans circulated online. The sun bears from Malaysia are smaller than other bears and look different but are the real thing, the Hangzhou Zoo said Monday on its social media account. In a post written from the perspective of a sun bear called Angela, Hangzhou Zoo said: “Some people think I stand like a person… It seems you don’t understand me very well. “When it comes to bears, the first thing that comes to mind is a huge figure and astonishing power… But not all bears are behemoths and danger personified.” The zoo, through the bear’s voice, instead emphasised sun bears are “petite, the smallest bear in the world,” reports BBC. The Hangzhou Zoo also arranged for reporters to see them on Monday. But why did social media users believe that the bear was a costumed person, and what are zoo officials saying? We take a closer look. Why are people questioning the bear? In video footage, the sun bear is seen standing tall on the edge of its enclosure, paws by its side, likely observing the zoo’s guests for itself. People on social media questioned how the bear could stand so upright on such slender legs, as well as the sight of what appears to be skin bagging around its hips, which some compared to those on an ill-fitting bear suit.

Hangzhou Zoo, located in China, denies social media rumors that the zoo’s sun bear is a human in a suit.

“Some people think [the bear] stands like a person... It seems you don't understand [the bear] very well." pic.twitter.com/gZZKZtsVCj

— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 31, 2023

They accused Hangzhou Zoo, in the province of Zhejiang, of dressing humans up like bears. “Because of the way they stand, some people online question whether they are ‘humans in disguise,’” according to the newspaper Hangzhou Daily. Notably, other Chinese zoos have faced similar accusations, with some being accused of trying to pass off dogs dyed to look like wolves or African cats, and even using donkeys painted to resemble zebras. Is the bear real? Dr Ashleigh Marshall, a Chester Zoo expert, told BBC that the animal in the video is “definitely a real bear,” though she acknowledges sun bears can “look a lot like people in their costumes.” [caption id=“attachment_12942112” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Experts say that the ruffled appearance of the bear’s skin around its back end is a normal and vital aspect of its anatomy. Image Courtesy: @SHAOXIA33139500/Twitter[/caption] She went on to say that the ruffled appearance of the bear’s skin around its back end is a normal and vital aspect of its anatomy. The folds assist protects the bears from predators because the looseness allows the bear to “turn around in their skin” and fight back if a large animal like a tiger gets a hold of them, Dr Marshall explains, reports BBC. What zoo authorities have to say? The bear in question, according to the zoo, is a sun bear, which are typically the size of large dogs, standing little more than 1.3 metres (50 inches) tall on its hind legs, compared to up to 2.8 metres (nine feet) for grizzlies and other species. In an audio recording that circulated on the social media platform WeChat, a zoo spokesperson stated that the animal was real and that such deceit would not occur at a state-run facility. The spokesperson added that in 40 degrees Celsius heat, a human in a fur bear suit “would not last more than a few minutes before collapsing,” as per a report in the Mirror. The zoo also said that sun bears — the smallest species of bear — have a particularly mild temperament which means it is not unusual for them to stand up to interact with visitors.  With inputs from AP