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A man who spent the last two years raising two beloved pet dogs has had a bit of a shock - after they turned out to be two BLACK BEARS.

The pair of 'puppies' Wang Kaiyu bought and raised at his home in Maguan County in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, have turned out to be two Asian black bears.

Ursus thibetanus are classed as a protected species in China and require a permit to be bred.

Kaiyu said he was offered the two bears as puppies by a tradesman while travelling on China’s southern border with Vietnam.

He bought the two black furry animals home in their cages and realised over the years that while the animals grew larger and larger, so too did their appetites, even occasionally preying on the domestic fowl of his farmland.

(Image: CEN)

However Kaiyu said he only realised that his dogs were in fact bears when he was sent a promotional notice by the local wildlife and forestry authorities.

It informed citizens about the different endangered animals locals may come across, and the laws governing their protection.

It was then that Kaiyu realised not only that was he raising two Asian black bears, but that the animals were also a second-class protected species.

After much deliberation with his family, Kaiyu decided to telephone authorities and hand over the two bears as he feared keeping the animals be misinterpreted as smuggling.

(Image: CEN)

Officials from the local Yunnan wild animal rescue centre immediately inspected the bears and found them to be a healthy female and a healthy male.

The animals were brought back to the rescue centre for observation and breeding, with Kaiyu receiving plaudits for his honesty.

He was quoted afterwards saying: "I am pleased, I thought I might end up in jail and was really worried after I called them."