Is that a human in costume? Chinese zoo insists its sun bear is real

A video of a Malayan sun bear standing on its hind legs sparked a viral debate after observers pointed out its strange appearance and behaviour.

A Malayan sun bear named Angela living in a Chinese zoo has been the subject of much chatter after a video of her circulating online led to viral speculation that she is actually a human wearing a bear costume.

The increased attention from the video has caused visitors to flock to the zoo to catch a glimpse of the newly minted internet star.

A video of the bear standing on her hind legs while interacting with crowds around her enclosure quickly went viral after observers pointed out the bear’s strange appearance and behaviour. The bear stands quite close to the onlookers and moves her arms almost as if she’s waving.

The main reason why people are skeptical about the authenticity of the bear is its behind — more specifically, its wrinkled bottom. The visible folds of skin when the bear stands up in the video resemble what a human would look like while wearing ill-fitting pants.

The original video of Angela the bear that sparked discourse was posted to Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, on July 27. A few days later, amid a flood of headlines and online chatter, the Hangzhou Zoo was forced to come out with a statement denying its bear is a furry imposter.

In a posting written from the bear’s perspective on Sunday, the zoo dismissed the rumours.

“Some people think I stand like a human, and it seems that you don’t understand me that much,” the posting reads.

“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 reads. “Let me emphasize again: I am a sun bear — not a black bear, not a dog — a sun bear!”