UK zoo releases video of its own standing, waving ‘human bear’ as proof that it’s real
They’re the bearer of good news.
Experts said a video of a sun bear captured at China’s Hangzhou Zoo is legitimate.
Over the weekend, footage of the bear seen standing upright and waving to crowds inside an enclosure at the zoo went viral, sparking speculation that the creation was actually an employee clad in a costume.
However, managers of Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire, England, have come out in support of the Chinese zoo, saying sun bears often display mannerisms that make them look as if they’re humans in disguise.
In order to support its claim, the park posted adorable footage of one of their own bears standing on its hind legs.
“We can confirm that Kyra is a sun bear,” the facility stated on Instagram. “Sun bears might look human when they stand, but they actually have the natural behavior of standing on their hind feet.”
Elsewhere, Edinburgh Zoo also posted a photo of its sun bear, Rotana, standing on her hind legs and looking suspiciously like a human in disguise.
The snap sparked a flurry of funny comments from followers, including one who wrote: “Obviously an AI-generated image. Hehehe.”
Meanwhile, Hangzhou Zoo has insisted that footage filmed at its park is legitimate.
It addressed the wild allegations in a statement Monday, pretending to be from Angela, the 4-year-old sun bear seen standing and staring at bemused-looking visitors.
“Some people think I stand like a person. It seems you don’t understand me very well,” the statement said.
The local Hangzhou Daily noted the attention, writing: “Because of the way they stand, some people online question whether they are ‘humans in disguise.’ ”
That forced zookeepers to note that the sun bears from Malaysia are smaller than other bears and have a different appearance — but are just as real.
Ashleigh Marshall, an expert from Chester Zoo, told the BBC that the animal “is definitely a real bear,” although she agreed with dubious zoo visitors that sun bears do often “look a lot like people in their costumes.”
The sun bear earned its name from the bright golden patch on its chest, according to Reuters. It is the smallest member of the bear family and can be found in the dense lowland forests of Southeast Asia.
Marshall pointed out that the folds on the sun bear’s back were actually to help protect the mammals from predators, with the loose skin allowing the bear to “turn around” and fight back if attacked.
