Is This Human-Looking Bear In China Real?

A Chinese zoo insists its famous sun bear is not a human in a costume, despite ongoing allegations.

The bear, known as Angela, is quite the attraction. She stands and waves to zoo-goers as they pass by.

But multiple users say the back of the bear resembles wrinkles from a costume. A frequently shared video also shows the bear moving like a person.

Take a look:

https://twitter.com/shaoxia33139500/status/1685559827786031104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1685559827786031104%7Ctwgr%5Eae29b42ea3bc0d3bfc4846ffb05b16b86e04214e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsays.com%2Fmy%2Fnews%2Fchina-zoo-denies-that-popular-sun-bear-is-a-man-in-costume

https://twitter.com/saysdotcom/status/1685957512020025344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1685957512020025344%7Ctwgr%5E830773d19126542eee0f2938612e2127feeaa615%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdailycaller.com%2F2023%2F07%2F31%2Fchina-hangzhou-zoo-bears-real-humans-disguise%2F

Hangzhou Zoo released the following statement pretending to be the viral Malaysian sun bear: “Some people think I stand like a person. It seems you don’t understand me very well."

Zookeepers say sun bears are a specific type of bear that differs from most bears, that they have a smaller frame and unique characteristics.

“Because of the way they stand, some people online question whether they are ‘humans in disguise'," said the zoo.

According to the New York Post, sun bears are the smallest bears in the world. They are about the size of a large dog. At their largest, they are about 50 inches tall while standing on their hind legs, compared to grizzly bears, which can be up to 9 feet tall.

While those statements do not mean much to skeptics, perhaps the following will:

The temperature at the zoo is more than 100 degrees. And officials say a human in a bear costume could never survive such temperatures for as long as the bear has been in the cage.

“If a person did wear a bear costume, they would be lying down within minutes due to the heat,” a spokesman said.

As someone who just came back from Las Vegas, I can attest to that.

Still, this is China and thus we cannot rule out a zoo putting humans in danger just to mislead visitors.

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.

What does the team at OutKick say?

David Hookstead says the photos are "definitely suspect," but he thinks the bear is real.

Amber Harding Snyder did not give an answer. But says the bear reminds her of Hank Hill:

Mark Harris agrees with Hookstead, saying he leans "real" but "the legs are so suspect." Geoffery Clark also votes real, adding he reserves the right to change his opinion after his deep dive.

However, Bobby Burack, the best judge of matters, says it's fake.

What say you? Do you believe Angela?