Chinese Zoo Denies Suggestions Its Sun Bear Is Really Just A Man In A Bear Suit

A Chinese zoo has been forced to deny suggestions that its star attraction, an adult sun bear, is actually just a man in a sun bear costume. In a now-viral video, a bear can be seen standing up on its hind legs in a rock feature at the Hangzhou Zoo. While bears do often stand on their hind legs, things get progressively weirder from there.

共匪🇨🇳動物園

動物🐻都是假的

人穿黑熊套皮毛被大陸人發現

共匪邪教鍋什麼都能造假 pic.twitter.com/mOy6J51zIp

— å°‘ä¿  (@shaoxia33139500) July 30, 2023

1. The guy who took the video just isn’t buying that this is a real animal. While many people might be convinced that this is just a super talented real bear, the man who posted the original video is certain that this is actually just a dude dressed up in a good costume.
2. To be fair, the “bear” does exhibit some bizarre behavior. While the whole “Standing on its hind legs” thing is pretty normal, the “bear” can be seen reaching out to attempt to catch something thrown by a visitor with its paws in a way that a bear just wouldn’t.
3. The costume seems a bit suspect, as well. Jimu News points out that the bear was moving like a human the entire time, standing and waving. There were also several folds around its backside when it was standing, implying that this was actually just excess fabric from a costume.
4. People on social media agree that something doesn’t seem right. “Its posture is more upright than humans!” one wrote. Another said, “Bears’ forelimbs cannot be spread out to the sides. This is undoubtedly a human being.” A third joked that the bear “looks like it’s wearing a leather jacket.”
5. Hangzhou Zoo has denied that they don’t have a real sun bear. They say that reports that they basically hired a guy to dress up like a bear instead of having a real one is ridiculous. By way of proof, they pointed out that temperatures were nearly 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) and that a man in a costume wouldn’t be able to cope with the intense heat.
6. To be fair, this wouldn’t be the first time China has pulled a stunt like this. Back in 2013, a zoo in Luohe, Henan tried to convince visitors that a large Tibetan mastiff was actually a lion, per CNN. However, their ruse unraveled when it barked at a visitor. They also put a white fox in the leopard cage and a dog in the wolf cage, per Beijing Youth Daily (via BBC News).

It's fake.. it's human in bear custom

— JM (@Coollay_JM) July 30, 2023

Some people are claiming that this bear is a man in a suite in China. I'm sorry I've seen the video a few times now, and without a doubt I can say that this bear is a REAL bear however it is malnourished to a point where it is hard to even look at because I feel so bad it.

— Fnord Psi Lord: The Black Sith Sorcerer. (@PsiLordReborn) August 1, 2023

Lmao!!!! This is hilarious!!! How he tries to catch the food with 2 hands!!! Another level of hilarity from #China !!!

— 🏴‍☠️ 🪝 #GenslerResign #mintcondition (@Foggy_Noggin) July 31, 2023

You can “bearly” tell he’s fake

— Tony (@Vader5272) July 31, 2023

It’s clearly a bear, the western media taught us to think this is a man in bear costume and it’s just their propaganda.

— mb (@MMebinj) July 31, 2023

Awwww the bear has a bit of loose skin on its butt so clearly a human, poor bear being butt shamed heheh

— Blazey (@BlazeyBell) July 31, 2023