Is that a bear or a human dressed up as one? Visitors at the Hangzhou Zoo in eastern China recently asked that question on social media. And people around the world had a lot to say about it!
Zookeepers say it’s a real sun bear, an endangered species that lives in Southeast Asia. It’s the world’s smallest bear species. Sun bears are 4 to 5 feet tall when standing upright.
The saggy skin on this bear’s backside might look like a poorly fitting costume. But it actually helps sun bears survive in the wild. The looseness allows them to twist and escape from a tiger or another predator.