Zoo Faces Backlash as Guests Spot Disturbing Detail About Bear in Enclosure – Can You See It?

A ZOO has been slammed after eagle-eyed visitors spotted a staff member in a costume masquerading as a bear.

The faux bear appeared to be dozing beneath trees in a forested area when a guest made the bizarre discovery.

One of the faux bears was spotted appearing to nap beneath the trees in a wooded area of the zoo Credit: AsiaWire The bears are reportedly paid £1090 a month Credit: AsiaWire

After it was exposed wandering through the forest and interacting with families, the zoo claimed the was not meant to replace the real animals.

Staff from the Shenyang Forest Zoological Garden in Shenyang, north-eastern , said the “bear” had been brought in to a short video and for visitor interaction.

In footage taken by a guest, the bear was seen reclined against a tree, nesting amongst the foliage on the ground.

The video cuts from the bear appearing to nap, before filming it slowly walking through the forest on its two hind legs and hiding its face.

The bear stopped dead in its tracks when it realised it was being filmed Credit: Asia Wire It then slunk away attempting to hide his face from the camera Credit: ASIA WIRE

It eventually steps behind a tree, apparently attempting to hide.

Staff added that the zoo did have the real life mammals – with at least seven brown bears calling the zoological garden home.

An employee noted that was only spotted occasionally and was not a permanent attraction.

The quickly became a star as visitors realised they could pose for photos, shake hands, hug and even dance with the normally .

Especially popular with parents who had brought their young children to the zoo, staff said visitors were inquiring about whether the fake bear would appear on a daily basis.

Local outlets reported the bear hides itself in wooded areas, waiting for visitors to discover it as they walk along the zoo paths.

It sometimes also appears close to the bear enclosure to greet guests.

One staff member – only identified as Wen – said the park has two animal performers – one who dresses as a brown bear and another that dresses as a giant panda.

Wen revealed that the brown bear actor is 6ft tall and physically fit enough to carry the heavy costume, which weighs between 22 and 44 pounds.

Chinese media has said the performer earns more than £1,090 per month for their role as the friendly-zoo roaming bear.

Visitors can interact with the bear as part of their normal ticket of entry to the park.

The zoo has not released a fixed schedule of appearances, but guests have speculated that the performer normally appears throughout the morning.

Wen also added that the real brown bears at the zoo are also friendly and intelligent.

The creatures can understand simple commands and had previously attracted many visitors when they became popular online.

He said the idea for a “performing bear” was sparked when guests reported feeling disappointed that they had not seen the real bears.

It comes after another Chinese theme park was mocked online for their fake elephant display.

Incredulous guests noticed something the massive animals both had a pair of human ankles poking out from beneath their bulky animal costumes.

The “elephants” were part of a storytelling segment at Wansui Mountain Martial Arts City in Kaifeng.

The elaborate show also included a molten iron fireworks performance.

Some said they had watched the performance multiple times and had always assumed the elephants were genuine.

A string of other instances have surfaced where zoo’s have tasked staff with playing dress up, as well as disguising dogs as other animals.

Humans and canines alike have played the giant black and white beasts, leaving visitors scratching their heads at the strange hoaxes.