A Chinese zoo has been forced to deny that its sun bear is actually a human in a costume, after footage of one standing on its hind legs raised online accusations of a furry imposter. A video clip of a bear rearing up and interacting with a group of people at a zoo in eastern Hangzhou city went viral on Chinese social media. "The zoo director called me after work yesterday and asked if I'd been slacking off by finding a two-legged beast to replace me," the bear, named Angela, said in the statement. "Some people thought the way I stand up looks too human... so I will stress again: I'm a sun bear!" It is the smallest bear -- about the size of a large dog -- and is listed as a vulnerable species due to deforestation and the global wildlife trade.

Source: Daily Sun August 01, 2023 10:33 UTC