BEARLY BELIEVABLE
Bloke makes bizarre claim that the ‘puppy’ he found in the woods grew up to be a massive bear
Somehow confusing the animal with a dog, the man took it home to adopt it as a pet - until it grew into a 12st bear
A man who adopted a 'puppy' he found in the forest claims he was left stunned when it grew up to be a massive bear.
The accidental bear owner, named only as Yang in reports, told media that he found the cuddly young creature while picking mushrooms near his home in the county of Yongsheng in the province of Yunnan in south-western China.
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He somehow confused the bear cub with a puppy and decided to bring it home from the mountains to his home and adopt it as his pet.
But since that day in April 2015 the animal has grown to be a 12st 8lb 5ft 6ins bear rather than the adult dog its owner believed it to be.
Early footage of the little cub, named Han Han, shows it happily playing with Yang's pet dog.
But unlike the actual dog, who is running around on all fours, Han Han is clearly seen walking on two legs.
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When Yang finally realised his massive blunder he said he had no choice but to buy a cage to keep the bear in so it could continue living at his home.
He claimed he had taken the precaution last year after hearing of a number of bear attacks but said he was too attached to the animal to set it free.
Yang said: "I raised it like my own child, not for money.
"I know it is not right to raise a bear in private but I had formed a bond with it, and I feared that it might not live well if I gave it away."
Authorities reportedly found the bear in the small cage on the roof of Yang’s house.
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They were alerted to the bear's presence in Yang's home after seeing photos of the beast on social media and immediately went to investigate,
The animal is an Asian black bear regulated in China as a "second-level protected species".
Owning one without a special permit is punishable with a fine of up to £340 or 3,000 RMB but Yang’s fine was waived as he co-operated so well with police.
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The bear has reportedly been moved to an animal sanctuary.
Asian Black Bears are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
They are threatened by deforestation of their mountain habitats and by being hunted for use in traditional Chinese medicine.
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