GRIN AND BEAR IT
‘Human’ bear seen WAVING at crowds just like a person as zoo still insists it is definitely not a man in a costume
A CHINESE zoo forced to deny its bear is a human in a costume has been rocked by yet another bizarre video - with the animal waving at spectators.
Speculation continues to grow as social media users can bear-ly believe that human-like "Angela" is a real sun bear.
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The Hangzhou Zoo in eastern China can't catch a break as one of its star attractions continues to astound visitors by walking on its hind legs and waving.
Noticing its slender legs, baggy roles of fur around the hips and typically uncharacteristic behaviour, people across the world have been poking fun at and questioning Angela's authenticity.
With each bizarre viral video, the zoo has been overwhelmed by allegations a person is hiding under a suit of fur.
The zoo responded to the wild claims from the perspective of four-year-old Angela: “Some people think I stand like a person. It seems you don’t understand me very well."
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“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.
"We Malayan bears are petite, the smallest bear in the world.”
They also claimed that a human inside a heavy costume would never survive the soaring summer temperatures of around 40C.
“If a person did wear a bear costume, they would be lying down within minutes due to the heat,” a spokesman said.
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Now, animal expert Dr Ashleigh Marshall from Chester Zoo has weighed in on the hot debate.
She told the that the animal is "definitely a real bear", but conceded that sun bears do often "look a lot like people in their costumes".
She said the loose skin around the hips is normal and helps them to turn around more easily so as to better fight predators.
Hangzhou Zoo has been enjoying a visitor boom following the viral videos of Angela, as 20,000 people are reported to be making the trip to see her daily.
Qian Ming told local media he had travelled over 150 miles by train across China to see the bear.
"We travelled overnight last night to get here," he said.
Other zoos in China have previously faced accusations of trying to pass off dogs dyed to look like wolves or African cats and donkeys painted to look like zebras.
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