A video of a bear standing on its hind legs went viral in China. Social media users claimed that the bear could be a person dressed in a bear costume.
Hangzhou Zoo said that people "misunderstood" this type of bear.
The zoo stated that sun bears, which are the smallest bear species in the world, are usually about the size of a large dog.
This species is native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia and is an endangered species.
In the video, the sun bear can be seen standing upright at the edge of its enclosure, keeping its paws by its side, and seemingly observing the zoo visitors.
People on social media questioned how the bear could stand so upright on its thin legs and the appearance of something resembling skin bags around its hips.
An employee of the zoo told the AP news agency in a phone interview that visits were arranged for reporters to see the bear on Monday.
