UK wildlife park's verdict on 'Chinese zoo using humans in bear suits'

02 August 2023 , 09:34

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UK wildlife park's verdict on 'Chinese zoo using humans in bear suits'

A British wildlife park has said it is normal for sun bears to walk on two legs after a Chinese zoo had to deny they weren’t humans in disguise.

Images have gone viral of bears walking around at Hangzhou zoo where their movements had led many people to claim they are humans that have dressed up. And it led the zoo to come out to deny the rumours about their sun bears from Malaysia that are small compared to some other breeds.

Now Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire has shared images of two sun bears walking on two legs and said that it is perfectly normal for them to look like that. "Sun bears might look human when they stand, but they actually have the natural behaviour of standing on their hind feet," it stated.

A spokesperson explained that sun bears stand up to look around their surroundings or to defend their territory. The wildlife park has two of the bears called Kyra and Indera who have settled in well and “have been a visitor favourite with their quirky behaviour!”.

A bear at Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire (Paradise Wildlife Park)

Paradise Wildlife Park said it is normal for sun bears to stand on their back legs (Paradise Wildlife Park)

The wildlife park stated: “Sun bears (Helarctos Malayanus) , the smallest member of the bear family, can be found in the dense lowland forests of Southeast Asia. From southern China to Indonesia, sun bears, also known as Malayan sun bears earned their name from the bright golden patch on their chest.

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"These markings have been part of legends saying they represent the rising sun. Whilst sun bears are the smallest species of bear, they still hold a stocky, muscular build with a thick but sleek black coat acting as a prevention to overheating in the humid tropical weather whilst providing protection from branches.”

A bear seen at Hangzhou zoo that has caused debate on social media (TWITTER)

Hangzhou zoo denied the claims that its bears were not real with a light-hearted social media post. "Some people think I stand like a person", said the post, written from the bear, Angela's, point of view.

It continued: "It seems you don’t understand me very well When it comes to bears, the first thing that comes to mind is a huge figure and amazing power... but not all bears are behemoths and danger personified." A spokesperson added that in 40C heat, a human in a fur bear suit "would not last more than a few minutes before collapsing."

Tim Hanlon