When the zoo denied claims that the sun bear was actually human, many on the internet did not buy the theory. A video surfaced online showing that another zoo in China allegedly once tried to pass off a golden retriever as an African lion, according to The New York Post.
The Yuanjiashan Zoo in Xichang, according to a visitor, allegedly tried to convince the cute cub that it was actually a mighty lion. A Weibo user named Tang took his daughter to the zoo and filmed a dog sitting patiently in a cage marked “Lion.”
According to the user, he thought he had the wrong enclosure, but after “going around the cage” and reading the sign, he “realized that this is where the lion should be placed,” according to the South China Morning Post. He asked the zookeeper if the animal was an “African lion” and if it looked different “because it hasn’t grown yet.” He was told the cage was temporary while the lion enclosures were “under renovation.” Tang claimed that the zoo was trying to pass off the cute dog as a lion. According to him, she was further disappointed when she had to explain to his son that the dog is not really a lion.