In a rural area of China, a family welcomed what they believed to be an adorable pup into their home – only to find out two years later that it was actually a bear!
During her trip in 2016, Su Yun – who resides in a village situated beyond Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province – purchased what she believed to be a Tibetan mastiff pup.
Tibetan mastiffs are formidable giants with a lush black-and-brown coat. These powerful pooches can reach an impressive weight of up to 150 pounds in males!
The owner was astonished by her pup’s strong appetite – he devoured a carton of fruit and two pails of noodles each day!
Two years later, Su’s pet had ballooned to a staggering 250 pounds and was continuing to gain weight.
As the woman observed the creature’s unexplainable ability to walk upright, her surprise quickly morphed into shock.
“The more he grew, the more like a bear he looked,” Su said.
The owner’s suspicions about her pet’s actual identity created an unsettling feeling within her, seeing as she admitted to being “a little scared of bears.”
Su quickly alerted the authorities, who rapidly identified her supposedly canine companion as an Asiatic black bear – a vulnerable species.
Initially reported by the Independent in 2018, this bizarre story has resurfaced and gained immense popularity again this week.
A fully grown and mature Asiatic bear, otherwise known as a Himalayan or Moon Bear, can tip the scales at an impressive 400 pounds!
Su’s bear, a wild animal that had been living with her for quite some time, needed to be tranquilized before it could be safely moved by the Yunnan Wildlife Rescue staff. After all, nobody dared approach the creature in its alert state!
A Chinese media outlet captured an incredible moment in May of 2018 when they filmed a giant Ursus thibetanus, adorned with its signature glossy black coat and white marking on the chest, devouring oranges within a cage.
At the time, authorities affirmingly stated that the bear was thriving in its new habitat.
