After 2 years, family realizes the pet dog they raised is a bear

An Asiatic black bear named Bentley relaxes at the San Antonio Zoo, Wednesday, January 10, 2007. He is one of 16 exotic animals seized last April in Gonzales County. He had limited access to water and could not stand in his previous home.Nicole Fruge/ San Antonio Express-News less An Asiatic black bear named Bentley relaxes at the San Antonio Zoo, Wednesday, January 10, 2007. He is one of 16 exotic animals seized last April in Gonzales County. He had limited access to water and could not ... more Photo: NICOLE FRUGE, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Photo: NICOLE FRUGE, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close After 2 years, family realizes the pet dog they raised is a bear 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Even when he was just a puppy, Su Yun's Tibetan mastiff was different from the other dogs in her village near Kunming, China.

For one thing, he had an enormous appetite. Su told Chinese media that he would consume two buckets of noodles and a box of fruit every day at her family's home in a village near Kunming, China.

For another thing, the diet was odd. A box of fruit daily?!

Then there was his habit of walking on two legs, a skill typically not demonstrated by canines that are not employed by circuses.

The family began to suspect something was amiss.

Pet dog raised by family for two years turns out to be a black bear https://t.co/AVHRdXgDqW pic.twitter.com/kuhMpGC8wy — The Independent (@Independent) May 14, 2018

"The more he grew, the more like a bear he looked," said Su. "I am a little scared of bears."

Eventually the family realized that the "Tibetan mastiff puppy" they purchased in 2016 while on holiday was in fact a bear — a bruin that now weighed 250 pounds.

They called the Yunnan (province) Wildlife Rescue Center for help. Wildlife staffers were so intimidated that they sedated the animal before transporting him.

The bear is an endangered Asiatic black bear, which can sell for thousands of dollars on the black market. Unfortunately the species is prized for both its meat and it gallbladder bile, which is used to treat a number of illnesses.

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Bear bile farming remains legal in China despite being an inhumane practice in which the bear is often kept alive wedged in a tiny cage while its bile is being extracted.

In March, Chinese news outlets reported that a man, also from Yunnan province, mistook a bear cub for a stray dog and raised the animal before realizing it was a bear.