Angela, a Malayan sun bear at a zoo in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, has become a “superstar” in China. A short video on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, showed Angela standing upright and seemingly interacting with visitors.
While most people were fascinated by this adorable animal capable of standing like humans, others questioned if Angela was a human clothed in a bear outfit. In response, the zoo management confirmed that Angela is indeed a sun bear, and is even dating a male sun bear. Since the video went viral, visits to the zoo have increased by 30%. But hopefully the attention on Angela will be extended to the welfare challenges facing other zoo animals in China.
Some zoos have been caught displaying dogs as wolves, livestock as exotic animals and donkeys as zebras.
The public questioning of the bear’s true identity is both thought-provoking and understandable, given the Chinese zoo industry’s record. After all, some zoos have been caught displaying dogs as wolves, livestock as exotic animals and donkeys as zebras.
The lack of public trust is also a result of other ethically questionable conducts perpetrated by the zoo industry. Not too long ago, live feeding was a “popular” program practiced by many zoos. Live goats, ducks, chicken, rabbits and even cattle were thrown to the pack of hungry lions or tigers to be torn apart alive. The practice terrorized not only the prey, but also visitors, particularly young children.
Other zoos have held photo ops with animals that are no less a scene of animal cruelty. In the name of “intimate interaction with animals,” lion cubs are snatched from their mothers; ponies stand for hours under the blazing sun without water and rest; and tethered, detoothed, and drugged tigers are beaten if they do not sit still.
Finally, there are the hugely controversial animal performances, such as tiger shows. Forcing animals to act unnaturally sends wrong messages to visitors, many of whom are young children. These shows have little education or conservation values. They normalize acts of coercion, foster indifference and validate injustice to animal victims.
There are voices in China against animal performance. Since 2004, the volunteer group China Zoo Watch has advocated for an end to cruelty in Chinese zoos. But it has fought an uphill battle. The introduction of the killer whale shows in particular has made the group’s campaign a more daunting task. China has the largest number of ocean parks in the world. Some 300 aquariums have animal shows attracting 200 million visitors a year. And to the consternation of animal activists, animal performance is protected under the country’s recently revised wildlife protection law.








