A zoo in eastern China has had to convince visitors that its Malay bears are real and not humans in disguise.
In China, a zoo has had to convince its visitors that the Malay bears in the zoo are real bears and not people in bear costumes.
The Hangzhou Zoo in eastern China commented on the matter after videos of bears in which the animal appears to be standing in front of the audience like a human went viral online.
People on social media speculated that it was a person in a bear costume instead of a bear.
The issue was reported by, among others, the British Broadcasting Corporation BBC and a British magazine The Guardian.
For example, the Singaporean publication Today has shared a video about the matter on Twitter.
People who claim the bear is a fake bear have been amazed by its shaggy fur and slender legs.
According to the BBC, the Hangzhou Zoo responded to the suspicions by saying that people “don’t understand the species”.
According to the zoo, Malayan bears are typically small in size and only about 130 centimeters long when standing on their hind legs.
The spokesperson of the zoo also points out that in 40 degree heat, a person would hardly survive in a bear suit for more than a few minutes before passing out.
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