A zoo in eastern China has denied suggestions that some of its bears were people dressed in costume after videos of a Malayan sun bear standing on its hind legs – and looking uncannily human – went viral, fueling rumors and conspiracy theories on Chinese social media.

Fuck zoos anyways, amirite? This is much better. Paying a person a liveable wage? Giving them fresh air, sun, exercise? Making zoo-goers happy and educated? Now that's what I call progress!!

  • Tankiedesantski [he/him]
    ·
    11 months ago

    Do humans have an instinct to identify human-looking patterns in completely unrelated things?

    :skinner-thinking:

    No, it's the Chinese who are inherently duplicitous.

    • DiltoGeggins [none/use name]
      ·
      11 months ago

      No, it's the Chinese who are inherently duplicitous.

      It was Chinese visitors to the zoo that raised the issue. The zoo is actually in a relatively small backwater (by Chinese standards at least) of only 11 million people. Not a lot of foreigners there to stir things up.

      • Tankiedesantski [he/him]
        ·
        11 months ago

        Yeah, I know it's a meme on Chinese social media too. Just the way it's reported by CNN and other Westoid media has this undercurrent.

        • DiltoGeggins [none/use name]
          ·
          11 months ago

          the way it's reported by CNN and other Westoid media has this undercurrent.

          Tabloids are notoriously trashy, and talk shit about pretty much all the sources they report on. Hell, the British tabloids are even worse, IMO.