Actors hired by zoo to pretend to be animals made to climb trees and catch fish

A popular zoo is paying actors to dress up as bears, and says that it wants the unique performers to get as ‘weird’ as they can while in character, even going as far as to catch fish

A popular zoo has turned to actors in order to keep its animal-loving guests entertained, with performers paid around £11,000 to dress and behave like real life bears.

The bizarre job listing was posted by Luohe Wildlife Zoo in Henan, China, and called for applicants willing to “jump, dance, climb trees, or even catch fish” while in character. The advertisement explained: “You can act in the most nonsensical ways. The more bizarre, the more popular you’ll be.”

“It’s the freest position in our zoo. If you’re tired, you can just lie down and daydream. If you’re feeling energetic, you can jump, dance, climb trees, or even catch fish. Do whatever feels comfortable.”

According to the South China Morning Post, applicants can be male or female but need to be 18 or older and physically fit.

What did not matter, according to the ad, was whether or not you were outgoing or not, as due to the spectrum in bear behaviour the role was suitable for all different types of personalities.

However, the post did stress that it was looking for a certain level of ‘weirdness’ from those looking to apply for the role.

The advert stated: “You can act in the most nonsensical ways. The more bizarre, the more popular you’ll be.”

While it sounded like a unique experience, the role hardly promises successful applicants a life changing salary, with the job only paying 100,000 yuan, which is around £11,100. Shifts apparently last for a total of six hours, while the fake bears are granted just four days off every month.

The strange role also requires those in the bear suits to remain totally silent throughout the day, and accept any offers of drinks from zoo visitors. While its not clear if the suits contain some sort of ventilation system, they were described as “soft” on the job post.

A zoo spokesperson who spoke to the Post said that the role “could represent a unique job opportunity for young people and help our zoo explore new avenues for revenue”.

Sadly for those looking to apply, the unique positions have now all been filled after just a few days, with more than 100 would-be bears applying for the role.

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