--- title: "Chinese Zoo Denies Their Bear Is a Dude in a Bear Costume" description: "Officials at China's Hangzhou zoo want you to know that their Malayan sun bear is not, in fact, a human in a costume, thanks!" date: "2023-08-01" modified: "2023-08-01" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/chinese-zoo-bear-costume-denial" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "animals" - "social media" - "the digest" - "zoos" --- # Chinese Zoo Denies Their Bear Is a Dude in a Bear Costume ![Officials at China's Hangzhou zoo want you to know that their Malayan sun bear is not, in fact, a human in a costume, thanks!]() *HANGZHOU, CHINA - AUGUST 1, 2023 - Two sun bears play at Hangzhou Zoo in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, Aug 1, 2023. (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images) \Image: Getty Images\* ## Sun Police Officials at China's Hangzhou zoo want you to know that their resident Malayan sun bear is not, in fact, a human in a suit — thank you very much! As [multiple]() [outlets]() [report](), a video of a sun bear named Angela looking particularly human-like went viral over the weekend, prompting speculation that the bear was not a bear, but was instead a human in a suit *pretending* to be a bear. Sun bears, like humans, are known to stand on their hind legs, and are small — the smallest bears in the world! — and thin in comparison to species like black bears and grizzlies. Skeptical netizens who caught wind of the viral clip, however, took these characteristics as a sign that the zoo might be trying to pull a fast one on zoo-goers, with the conspiracy ultimately becoming so popular that the zoo had to issue a statement to correct the record. "I'm Angela the sun bear — I got a call after work yesterday from the head of the zoo asking if I was being lazy and skipped work today and found a human to take my place," read a [Sunday statement]() from zoo officials, which was inexplicably written from the bear's perspective, [as translated by *CNN*](). "Let me reiterate again to everyone that I am a sun bear," the statement continued, "not a black bear, not a dog — a sun bear!" Sure, "Angela"... exactly what a human pretending to be a sun bear would say. (Although, in all seriousness, if a zoo is hoping to dispel the notion that one of its animals *isn't* a human in a suit, they'd probably do better to not anthropomorphize said animal. Mixed messages.) ## Public Ignorance Experts have chalked the case of mistaken identity up to a lack of public education about the animals, which are native to the jungles of Southeast Asia. "This just shows how little the public knows about the species," Wong Siew Te, a wildlife biologist who studies the sun bear and founded the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center in Malaysia, [told *The Washington Post*](). "Sun bears stand on their hind feet for a broader view of their surroundings, and those in captivity are used to interacting with humans because they expect food from visitors." Per *WaPo*, a zoo employee elsewhere emphasized on national television that the currently scorching summer temperatures in China would be a little much for a human in a leather and fur bear suit to withstand, which is also a fair point. Still, we must admit, does *kinda* look like she could be a dude in a bear suit. [Never say never]()! **More on animals:** [*Elephants Love Hanging out with People, Scientists Find*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()