Bear-ly believable! Zoo is forced to deny its bears are 'humans in disguise' wearing elaborate costumes after video of the animals standing on two legs went viral in China.<br /><br />They can often be seen standing up on their hind legs like humans to get a closer look at the world around them, or to reach up high to sniff around for some low-hanging food.<br /><br />But with its bizarre wrinkly fur and slender legs, this captive bear has sparked a furious online row in China - with suspicious observers claiming it is simply a zoo employee in an elaborate animal suit.<br /><br />Extraordinary video shows the creature reaching up to catch a snack thrown into its enclosure at Hangzhou Zoo - and comically failing to hold on to it.<br /><br />The distinctly resigned nature of the sun bear has only added fuel to the theory it is in fact a human in disguise. Other observers have pointed to a saggy bottom, sparking theories it is a very life-like suit.<br /><br />But after a growing clamour for proof, the zoo has finally addressed the controversy.<br /><br />The zoo was quick to intervene, a spokesperson saying in an audio clip circulating WeChat that such deception would not happen at a state-run facility.<br /><br />'Some people think I stand like a person,' read a separate social media post, written from the point of view of the bear. 'It seems you don't understand me very well.'<br /><br />The bear is seen on video from the back, standing on two legs - like a person - and waving its arms around, trying to catch food thrown in by visitors.<br /><br />It then fails to catch a snack thrown in by the crowd, and resigns itself to sitting on a rock.<br /><br />Internet users questioned whether the zoo's bears were real after photos circulated showing one standing upright on slender hind legs.<br /><br />'Because of the way they stand, some people online question whether they are "humans in disguise,"' the newspaper Hangzhou Daily reported.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />A spokesperson for the zoo also batted off the allegations, saying a human in a fur bear suit 'would not last more than a few minutes before collapsing' in the 104F (40C) summer temperatures. <br /><br />Sun bears are the size of large dogs, standing at most 1.3 meters (4ft 3") tall on their hind legs.<br /><br />Grizzlies and other species can be as tall as 2.8 metres (9ft), according to the zoo. <br /><br />They are the smallest of the bear species and are native to Southeast Asia. <br /><br />Sun bears have distinct features, such as a short, sleek black coat, a pale yellowish crescent on their chests (which gives them their name), and a light-colored muzzle.<br /><br />Other Chinese zoos have been accused of trying to pass off dogs dyed to look like wolves or African cats.<br /><br />In 2019, two zoo workers at Yancheng Wild Animal World in Changzhou, China, were seen wearing gorilla costumes and jumping around.<br /><br />Following complaints, the zoo reportedly stated that it was an April Fools' prank. <br /><br />In 2018, reports emerged suggesting
