BEAR MARKET

Viral Bear Suspected of Being a Human in a Suit Triggers Surge in Zoo Visitors

The zoo’s visitor numbers rocketed even after officials announced the bear really is just a bear.

A zoo in China has been inundated with visitors wanting to see a bear that generated international headlines after people suggested it was actually a human being wearing a bear costume. Staff at Hangzhou Zoo have denied that Angela, a Malayan sun bear, is an imposter after video of her standing on two legs went viral. Undeterred, people have flocked to the zoo to see Angela since the footage emerged online, leading to a 30 percent spike in visitor numbers, Chao News reports. “After we saw the video on the internet, we specially took the high-speed train from Suzhou to come over to see the bear,” visitor Qian Ming told a Hangzhou TV station. “We traveled overnight last night to get here. The bears are so cute.”