A Chinese man raises two “pet dogs” for two years, finds out they’re actually Asian black bears https://t.co/bkUv8soVCp
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) July 3, 2015
A Chinese man has been left heartbroken after having to give up both of his pet dogs upon realising that they were actually bears.
Wang Kaiyu, from Yunnan Province, China, was sold the alleged puppies by two travelling salesmen along China’s border with Vietnam. The salesmen have been described as both “ominous” and “nefarious” (by me, right now).
Kaiyu took the cub-pups home to his family farm, where they lived for 2 years before the truth came out. Over this time, they grew steadily larger and larger, as bears tend to do. With their increased size came increased appetites, and the pets even began feasting on the family’s chickens.
One day, Kaiyu received a pamphlet from the local wildlife and forestry authority that contained information about animals in the area. This is when he realised that his beautiful pet dogs were in fact Asian Black Bears, or Ursus thibetanus.
Ursus thibetanus are medium-sized bears found across Asia, and are classified as vulnerable on the IUCN red list. They are most notable for their white, batman-symbol shaped chest hair.
Initially, Kaiyu was unsure what course of action he should take. By alerting the authorities, he could face charges of animal smuggling. In the end however, he decided to come forward. The local wildlife authority collected the animals and brought them back to a rescue centre. One was male, and the other female. They were both in good health, and instead of a criminal record, Kaiyu received praise for his honesty.