It looks like a fake but it is not. What you see is really an Asiatic bear walking "upright" on its hind legs, just like a human being! Despite the lighthearted and fun nature of the clip, the origins of this behavior are sad
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
It looks like a fake but it is not. What you see is really a Asian bear walking "standing" on its hind legs, just like a human! Despite the lighthearted and fun nature of the clip, the origins of this behavior are sad and painful.
To reveal them it's Eliza Jinata, the wildlife vet who posted the images. The animal was indeed saved from a bile farm, where, mistreated and undernourished, he spent his life in a small cage. Meanwhile, his bile was extracted and sold, generally for use in traditional medicine. Chronic undernourishment would have led to the development of a body so small as to make it easier move onto their hind legs.
“Many volunteers and staff members have asked me because he walks like this. At first I couldn't answer their questions, but after further comments here's my guess. This bear was rescued from a bile farm where he was kept in tiny cages and very little fed, just enough to keep him alive so he could extract his bile. Due to malnutrition its legs are short and the body size is disproportionately small compared to the head. It is much smaller than an adult Asian black bear its age, ”explains the doctor.
Also, before the place where it is located was turned into a recovery center, it functioned as a zoo where visitors could feed the animals by throwing food from outside into the enclosure. With his smaller, malnourished body, it was easier for him to stand on his hind legs, as his spine could support a still light body weight. And so yesstanding up and waiting for food has slowly become a habit, which today repeats on a daily basis.
According to Animals Asia, there are over 10.000 bears currently bred for their bile in China, and 2.000 others in Vietnam.
Roberta Ragni
Read also:
Moon Bears "milked" for bile in China (video)
The journey to freedom of three escaped bears at a bile farm
