A zoo in eastern China denied allegations that a sun bear is a man in a costume.
Video filmed in the city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province on July 27 shows an alleged black-coloured interacting with visitors, standing upright on its hind legs, mimicking human gestures.
Since some eyewitnesses swore that the animal's movement and posture were too human-like, debate and speculation were ignited across social media platforms.
Hangzhou Zoo has finally broken its silence. Amid a bubbling controversy, a zoo worker confirmed that it's certainly not a human masquerading as a bear, humorously noting that with temperatures soaring to a sweltering 40C, no person could bear to wear a fur suit.
It was clarified that the black-coloured bear is a sun bear, the smallest of all bear species.
"Bears have the ability to stand, especially in the wild where they often stand up to fight," the zoo worker explained. "However, sun bears are rather gentle and will sometimes stand to interact with visitors."
The video was provided by local media with permission.
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