Family raises a puppy for two years, then they discover it's not a dog (+VIDEO)
Dogs are exceptional creatures who give families a lot of joy, no matter what breed they belong to: from tiny Chihuahuas to mammoth Molossians, passing through cute mixed breeds, it is certainly a joy to raise a puppy. Of course, it is difficult to have detailed knowledge of all dog breeds, unless you have a degree in Veterinary Medicine.
One family believed they were raising what appeared to be a Tibetan Mastiff puppy (or at least a Mastiff cross), only to discover two years later that the pup wasn't a dog at all.
via Mirror
The woman who found the "dog", Su Yun, took the animal home to her village in Yunnan, China. The first sign that made the family suspicious was the pup's weight: a Tibetan mastiff can reach 150 kilos, but after a couple of years the "puppy" weighed a good 250 kilos. Another clue came when the animal began to walk on its hind legs, while its front ones legs had rather sharp nails.
In addition, the "big dog" was always hungry: "Every day he ate a box of fruit and two buckets of noodles," said Su Yun. The animal's size, appetite and posture led the woman to believe her "puppy" wasn't a dog at all.
Intimidated by its increasingly massive size, the woman decided to contact the authorities to find out whether or not her pet was really a hungry, large dog. Upon their arrival, the authorities confirmed the woman's suspicions: she had been raising an Asiatic black bear for two years.
A protected species in China, these bears are often sold on the black market for huge sums of money, and exploited in a variety of ways. Fortunately, this bear was taken in by the Yunnan Wildlife Recovery Center.
Despite being very docile, the authorities decided to sedate the animal before proceeding its transfer to the Center.
The transfer went well and today, the young bear is living free and happy in the Yunnan nature reserve.
