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Sun Bear In China Zoo Goes Viral Because People Keep Saying It's Actually A Man In Costume

Un-bearivable.

Cover image via @shaoxia33139500 (Twitter)

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Zoos in China are notorious for making headlines for the strangest reasons

First, it was a golden retriever found sitting in a lion's cage, then it was a lion with a choppy hairstyle.

Now, people are claiming that a sun bear from Malaysia in one of the zoos is actually a man in costume.

A controversial video caused a debate online after it showed a sun bear in Hangzhou Zoo, China looking and acting very 'un-bear-like'

The debate ensued after the video went viral, showing the sun bear standing upright and waving its paws, causing many to question if it's a real animal.

Local newspaper Hangzhou Daily wrote, "Because of the way they stand, some people online question whether it is a 'human in disguise'," according to a report by AP News.

As the sun bear stands on its hind legs in the video, folds of the animal's skin around the back legs also caught the attention of viewers

According to Zhejiang News, users commented that the folds look like a coat of some sort or a loose-fitted costume.

Another commented that "Its posture is more (upright) than humans!" as reported by Chinese news outlet, Jimu News, via The Straits Times.

Despite the claims, the zoo has since denied all allegations

"The sun bears from Malaysia are smaller than other bears and look different but are the real thing," Hangzhou Zoo said on its social media account, according to AP News.

"Some people think I stand like a person. It seems you don't understand me very well," said the post, written from the bear's point of view.

In a report by The Straits Times, the zoo added that the temperature on the day the video was taken was 40ºC, and a person wearing a costume would not be able to tolerate the heat.

You can watch the video of the sun bear in question here:

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In Japan, zoo staff pretended to be lions:

On a separate note, an oyen that has been the centre of attention at Zoo Negara seems to have a 'competitor' recently:

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