Bearing the brunt: Netizens pointing out pant-like folds in the bear’s rear, and its human-like gestures. — The Straits Times/ANN
BEIJING: It is a bearly believable sight.
In a video that has gone viral, a black bear at a zoo in China can be seen standing on its two hind legs on the precipice of a rock feature and interacting with tourists by waving its paws.
However, there is apparently more than meets the eye at the sun bear exhibit at Hangzhou Zoo, which is reportedly a popular tourist attraction. The netizen who posted the video is convinced that the “talented” bear is actually a human in a costume, reported Hangzhou Daily.
The zoo on Saturday denied the charge, adding that the temperature on the day the video was taken was 40°C and a person wearing a suit would not be able to tolerate the heat.
Despite this, some people continue to believe that the black bear was a human in a costume, reported another Chinese news outlet, Jimu News.
They pointed to the bear’s human-like movements while standing and waving and also to what appeared to be pants-like folds around its rear when standing.
“Its posture is more (upright) than humans!” said one.
Another claimed: “Bears’ forelimbs cannot be spread out to the sides. This is undoubtedly a human being.”
One Weibo user commented on a video of the attraction that the bear “looks like it’s wearing a leather jacket”.
This is not the first time a zoo in China has grabbed headlines for eyebrow raising exhibits.
In 2019, Yancheng Wild Animal World in Changzhou sparked controversy after asking its workers to dress as gorillas, reported British newspaper Daily Mail.
The bizarre sight of two zookeepers jumping around the gorilla enclosure in full-body costumes was spotted by a parent. — The Straits Times/ANN
