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In the eastern Hangzhou Zoo of China, rumors and conspiracy theories regarding rare Malayan Sun Bears being replaced by people dressed in costumes have been denied by zoo officials.

 A video of a  bear standing upright on its hind legs, looking remarkably human, went viral on Chinese social media, sparking speculations and curiosity.

The zoo officials issued a statement written from the perspective of a sun bear named "Angela." It clarified the animal in question was indeed a sun bear and not a human, a black bear or even a dog.

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The upright posture of the sun bear and the loose fur on its behind had led to mistaken assumptions that a human imposter might be masquerading in the enclosure.

The idea of people impersonating animals seems implausible.

As strange as it seems, in the past, Chinese zoos have been known to pass off domestic pets like dogs as exotic wild creatures. 

In 2013 a zoo in Henan province presented a Tibetan Mastiff dog as a lion. And the visitors were shocked and disappointed when the dog barked.

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Sun Bears Endangered

Unfortunately, sun bears face grave challenges due to shrinking forests and the hunting of mother bears for their cubs, a cruel practice prevalent in their habitats.

Sun bears, native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, are the smallest bear species in the world. These bears have an average height of up to 70 centimeters and weigh between 25 to 65 kilograms.

They are known for the amber-colored crescent-shaped fur patches on their chests. They also have long tongues, which help them extract honey from bee hives. Their nickname "beruang madu" (honey bear) in Malaysia and Indonesia reflects this characteristic.

Sun bears face numerous threats, primarily from poaching and deforestation. Over the past three decades, their population in the wild has declined by 35%. 

Conservation groups like the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center (BSBCC) in Sabah, Malaysia, are dedicated to protecting and caring for sun bears. Currently, the BSBCC looks after 43 rescued bears, each displaying unique personalities and behavior.

Wong Siew Te, the founder of BSBCC and a wildlife biologist, emphasized that sun bears are often overlooked and need more attention from the public. He revealed that sun bears' ability to stand on their hind legs is a natural behavior, allowing them to reach higher ground and investigate their surroundings. 

Female sun bears even hold their cubs with both hands and walk on their feet, displaying human-like characteristics, which sometimes leads to confusion among observers.