Is Chinese Zoo Bear real, or Human, A complete story

The Hangzhou Zoo (east) states that it has experienced a 33% increase in the number of visitors since images of the animal, which has caused a sensation on Chinese and international networks, went viral.

Videos posted on the Douyin platform, the Chinese version of the Tiktok video application, show the animal walking through its enclosure with a posture very similar to that of a person, attracting millions of views.

Some netizens have joked that the bear looks like a costumed actor or a temporary contract worker for the summer, while others have admired the animal's intelligence and charm.

The folds in the skin on the animal's back, which make it look like a costume, surprised commentators when it stands upright.

The deputy director of the zoo, Jiang Zhi, quoted by local media, explained that sun bears are able to stand up and that they do so to "interact with humans" or "to look for food in the trees. "

Jiang noted that the number of visitors to the zoo increased significantly after the video was released, with 12,000 people on July 29 and 15,000 on July 30, an increase of about 33 percent from the previous days.

Zoo Confirms Sun Bears Exist

The zoo also issued a statement on its official social media account, written from the perspective of Angela.

"Some people think I stand like a human, and it seems that you don’t understand me that much," Hangzhou Zoo said. "Previously, some tourists thought that I was too tiny to be a bear. I have to emphasize again: I am a Malayan sun bear! Not a black bear! Not a dog! A sun bear!"

"Sun bears could be very human-like," Wong Siew Te, a wildlife biologist and the founder of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre in Malaysia who has been researching the animals for about 25 years, told NBC News. "They stand like humans and walk like humans." 

The zoo was forced to clarify that it is a real bear and not a disguised human: the animal, named "Anjila", and another sun bear named "Dalu", arrived at the zoo in 2020 and are fed milk, dates, fruits and insects.

Zoo: Sun bears known for curiosity, calmness

In fact, the deputy director assured that "it is not the first time" that sun bears have become notorious for their curious appearance and pointed out that "they generally have a mild temperament."

Numerous users on social networks such as Weibo, similar to Twitter, censored in China, commented on their desire to travel to Hangzhou to see the famous animal in person.

Peta, the animal rights group, said the incident showed that all zoo animals, including this bear, should move to sanctuaries and wildlife reserves that prioritize the wellbeing of animals.

“These highly intelligent and social beings deserve to live freely and thrive in their natural environment, not used as mere spectacles for human entertainment,” Jason Baker, the Peta Asia vice-president, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The zoo has also taken advantage of the popularity of the video to disseminate information about this species, which is the smallest of the bears and lives in Southeast and South Asia, tropical habitats that also give it the peculiarity of not hibernating.

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