Shocking Appearance of Emaciated Half-Moon Bear... "Only Eats Vegetables," Absurd Explanation from Chinese Zoo

"Originally Vegetarian Bear" Zoo's Absurd Explanation
Authorities Launch Investigation Amid Growing Criticism in China

A video showing a moon bear being so emaciated that it is hard to recognize it as a bear has been released from a zoo in China, sparking criticism of animal abuse. On the 13th, Hongguan News and Dawan News in China reported that a video capturing the gaunt appearance of a moon bear at the Zhulongtan Scenic Area Zoo in Panzhou City, Guizhou Province, China, was shared on social media, causing controversy.

[Photo by YouTube]

In the video, the bear’s waist is slender, and there is no visible flesh on its face, chest, or belly, making it look somewhat like a black dog at first glance. The related articles and video quickly spread online, and Chinese netizens who saw them left comments expressing sympathy, such as "The bear is so hungry it has become a dog," and "It has become a rectangle because it is so thin."

[Photo by YouTube]

A netizen claiming to be a zookeeper at the zoo wrote, "The zoo has no money and no tourists, so the owner only feeds the bear bok choy and carrots." As the controversy grew, the zoo responded by saying, "The bear is very old and does not eat well, and it is originally a species that only eats plants," adding, "We do give meat to other animals." However, netizens still found this explanation hard to accept.

When Dawan News requested an explanation from the Panzhou City Bureau of Culture, Sports, Broadcasting, and Tourism, an official said, "Since the zoo is privately operated, the city only provides guidance and does not manage it," adding, "The zoo claims there was no abuse, but it seems the management was inadequate."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.