A zoo in China has been forced to clarify that its sun bears are real, after a video of one of the animals sparked claims that they are actually humans in costume.

Hangzhou Zoo in eastern China said people making the allegations “don’t understand” the species.

The zoo’s denial came after a video shared on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo showed a sun bear standing upright inside its enclosure.

Its upright posture, coupled with loose folds of fur on its rear end, fuelled speculation that the animal was actually a human being, wearing a bear costume.

The zoo sought to dispel the rumours by issuing a statement written from the bear’s perspective.

“I’m Angela the sun bear – I got a call after work yesterday from the head of the zoo asking if I was being lazy and skipped work today and found a human to take my place,” the statement read.

“Let me reiterate again to everyone that I am a sun bear. Not a black bear, not a dog – a sun bear!”

 "Some people think I stand like a person... It seems you don't understand me very well."

A British animal expert quoted by the BBC also said the bear seen in the footage was “definitely a real bear”.

Sun bears are the world’s smallest bear species: adults grow up to 70 centimetres tall and weigh between 25 and 65 kg. When standing on their hind legs, the bears can rise up to 1.3 metres.

The species, which his native to South East Asian rainforests, is considered endangered.

While suspicions about the bear being a human in disguise may appear outlandish, there is a precedent: in 2013, a zoo in central China tried to pass off a Tibetan Mastiff dog as a lion. The zoo was caught out when visitors heard the ‘lion’ bark.