Man’s Bears Are Puppies: Unaware Buyer Duped Into Thinking Cubs Were Dogs

How on Earth does a man mistake bears for puppies?

This strange news story sounds like a parody from late night comedy or a chapter out of your friend’s diary when they’ve had too much to drink. Thankfully (for the humor of it all), this account of a man being duped really took place.

Presumed dog owner, Wang Kayui, got the shock of his life recently when he learned two pooches he purchased from a man two years ago along China’s border with Vietnam are not dogs at all. In fact, they are black bears. Several things tipped the man off (not necessarily in order or occurrence).

First, as the “puppy” bear cubs aged, they looked less like canines. Second, the two pups’ weight ballooned to over 100 pounds. Third, they developed an appetite for his chickens. Finally, after two long years, when the man read materials about conservation, he realized the puppies were bears. And to make matters worse, the black bear cubs are on the endangered species list.

Suddenly, the duped man had a quagmire: on the one hand, the pets he thought were puppy dogs were Asian black bears. On the other hand, Wang realized he was committing a crime.

He consulted with family members, and they all reasoned the best thing to do was to turn over the animals to a local authority. The Forest Public Security Bureau took possession of the man’s puppies-turned-bears and began the process of trying to find a good home for the animals. Eventually, the Yunnan Wild Animal Rescue Center got involved to help with adoption. At this point, they are not likely candidates for entry into a wild habitat.

This story has some semblances to another that was previously reported by Inquisitr in December of last year. Then, a circus tried passing dogs off as panda bears.

“Two pandas were seized by police after they arrived at the traveling Orfei big top in Brescia. After an investigation, it was clear that the two furry animals were, in fact, dogs being passed off as pandas. Officers moved in quickly, not only on the tips they received about the unscrupulous circus owners gouging the public over pictures, but it’s public knowledge that the panda bear is an endangered species.”

The man who thought his bears were puppies did the right thing in the end. Undoubtedly, he is still emotional over having to part with his companions that he looked after for two years. However, they are better in the hands of experts that say this type of bear species is known to attack humans without warning.

[Photo via Twitter]