Top Price Market
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World

Top Price Market

World

Chinese zoo denies its sun bears are people in costume

by August 1, 2023
August 1, 2023
Chinese zoo denies its sun bears are people in costume

A zoo in eastern China has denied suggestions that some of its bears were people dressed in costume after videos of a Malayan sun bear standing on its hind legs – and looking uncannily human – went viral, fueling rumors and conspiracy theories on Chinese social media.

In a statement written from the perspective of a sun bear named “Angela,” officials from Hangzhou zoo said people “didn’t understand” the species.

“I’m Angela the sun bear – I got a call after work yesterday from the head of the zoo asking if I was being lazy and skipped work today and found a human to take my place,” the statement read.

“Let me reiterate again to everyone that I am a sun bear – not a black bear, not a dog – a sun bear!”

Bear cools off in a Burbank pool during heat wave

In videos shared on the popular Chinese microblogging site Weibo, a sun bear was seen standing upright on a rock and looking out of its enclosure.

Many Weibo users noted the animal’s upright posture, as well as folds of loose fur on its behind – making the bear look somewhat odd and fueling speculation that a human imposter might be masquerading in its place.

It might sound like an implausible gambit. But zoos in China have courted public ridicule in the past for trying to pass off pets like dogs as wild animals.

In 2013, a city zoo in the central Henan province angered visitors by trying to pass off a Tibetan Mastiff dog as a lion. Visitors who had approached the enclosure expressed shock when they heard the “lion” bark.

Visitors at another Chinese zoo, in Sichuan province, were shocked to discover a golden retriever sitting in a cage labeled as an African lion enclosure.

‘Forgotten’ bears under threat

Native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, sun bears are the world’s smallest bear species. Adult bears stand at heights of up to 70 centimeters tall (28 inches) and weigh between 25 to 65 kilograms (55 to 143 pounds), experts say.

They do not hibernate and are also characterized by amber colored crescent shaped fur patches on their chests and long tongues which help them extract honey from bee hives – earning them the name “beruang madu” (honey bear) in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Sun bears are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are a protected species in native countries like Malaysia.

Their numbers in the wild are at threat by poachers and deforestation, declining by 35% over the past three decades, according to conservation groups like the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center (BSBCC) in Sabah, Malaysia.

The center cares for 43 rescued bears, each with their own mannerisms and unique personality.

Caged and cut open for bile: The fight to free Asia’s farmed bears

“Most bear species can stand on their hind legs but sun bears stand up high to reach higher ground to investigate their surroundings so there is a purpose to why they do that. Female sun bears even hold their cubs with both hands and walk on their feet, very human like, so I guess that’s why people get mistaken.”

Wong said that the bear’s loose, saggy skin also serves an important function in the wild, by acting as armor from predators, protecting them from deeper bites and injuries.

“Sun bears are usually fat and round. When conditions are bad and food is scarce, their skin becomes loose,” Wong said.

“Forests are vanishing and mothers are often killed by hunters who steal their cubs – this is a huge problem across Southeast Asia. Sun bears are also subject to the cruel bear bile trade,” Wong added.

“There needs to be more awareness and education about sun bears – they are a protected and special species and are in serious trouble.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Great Barrier Reef stays off UNESCO ‘in danger’ list but hot El Niño summer looms
next post
Velez fans violently attack club’s players at gunpoint

You may also like

Maldives bans Israeli passport holders in protest against...

A middle schooler’s science project suggests Archimedes’ death...

China’s Coast Guard claims to have entered the...

Teacher accused of killing first grader as school...

Analysis: What to make of the US retaliation...

Isolated Indigenous man makes brief contact with outside...

Chinese student found guilty in British court of...

Gaza hostage families urge Trump and Harris to...

The world is turning against Israel’s war in...

Philippines accuses Chinese vessels of firing water cannon...

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Latest

    • Metals and Mining Virtual Investor Conference: Presentations Now Available for Online Viewing

    • Vance says India-Pakistan conflict ‘none of our business’ as Trump offers US help

    • Trump pushes tax hikes for wealthy as ‘big, beautiful bill’ deadline looms

    • US and other allies of Ukraine pile pressure on Putin, threatening fresh sanctions if he refuses 30-day truce

    • OpenAI’s Sam Altman thanks Sen John Fetterman for ‘normalizing hoodies’

    Categories

    • Business (1,632)
    • Investing (4,782)
    • Politics (7,552)
    • Uncategorized (2)
    • World (6,137)
    • About us
    • Contacts
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Email Whitelisting

    Disclaimer: toppricemarket.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 toppricemarket.com | All Rights Reserved


    Back To Top