BEIJING (AP) 鈥� A zoo in eastern China is denying suggestions some of its bears might be people in costumes after photos of the animals standing like humans circulated online.
The sun bears from Malaysia are smaller than other bears and look different but are the real thing, the Hangzhou Zoo said Monday on its social media account.
鈥淪ome people think I stand like a person," said the posting, written from the bear鈥檚 point of view. 鈥淚t seems you don鈥檛 understand me very well.鈥�
An employee who answered the phone at the zoo declined to talk about the bears but said visits were being arranged for reporters Monday to see them.
Internet users questioned whether the zoo鈥檚 bears were real after photos circulated showing one standing upright on slender hind legs.
鈥淏ecause of the way they stand, some people online question whether they are 鈥榟umans in disguise,鈥欌�� the newspaper Hangzhou Daily said.
Sun bears are the size of large dogs, standing at most 1.3 meters (50 inches) tall on their hind legs, compared with up to 2.8 meters (9 feet) for grizzlies and other species, according to the zoo.
Other Chinese zoos have been accused of trying to pass off dogs dyed to look like wolves or African cats, and donkeys painted to look like zebras.
The Associated Press
