Animals dressed as humans are usually unsettling sights (save a few chihuahua holiday sweaters here and there, and of course cat bow ties). But animals ACTING as humans? Pure comedy. And in a life-affirming nod from the TGIF gods, here's video evidence of a bear walking like a person. At the Laos Wildlife Center, an especially tiny and precious Asiatic black bear rose up on both hind legs to take a stroll of his enclosed perimeter. I love its casual approach as if it were to ask in passing, "Hey Norman, what happened to the hazelnut coffee blend? I loved that stuff. Now it's vanilla, which is fine—I guess. Let's go to Panera for lunch, yeah?" Very chill 'tude, bear friend. Very chill, indeed.
Except not really—apparently this specific bear was a past resident of a very cruel bear bile farm. FYI, some farms keep bears—mostly Asiatic black bears and sunbears—in cramped cages to extract their bile, which is sold at an exorbitant price to cure various ailments. It's very cruel and scary and sometimes permanently affects the bears' bodies in a way like the one caught on camera. Even though there's a sad history as to why this bear walks in such a fashion, it's still mesmerizing to see in action. Seriously:
At least he is safe now on the reservation and getting the attention he needs. The veterinarian Eliza Jinata who posted the video further explains:
Before his current place was turned into a rescue center, it functioned as a zoo where visitors could feed him and other bears by throwing food from outside the fence. With his smaller and malnourished body, it is easier for him to stand on his hind leg because his spine can support his light body weight. Standing up and waiting for food slowly became a habit which he does on a daily basis now.
Ugh, it's the worst when something cute is actually the result of something terrible. See the whole video below:
Images: Getty Images; YouTube
