Police in China recently seized an Asian black bear from a man who decided to raise the wild animal after first confusing it for a dog. Acting on a neighbor’s tip, police visited the man's home in the Yunnan province and found the 176-pound bear being kept in a cage. UPI reports that the man, identified only by the surname Yang, told investigators he found what he thought was a puppy while foraging for mushrooms in April 2015 and only realized it wasn't a dog when it grew large.
Asian black bears are considered a protected species in China and those found to be keeping them without forest authority approval can face fines of up to $475. Yang was not fined because the bear appeared be in good health and the man cooperated with the investigation. The bear is now in the custody of an animal welfare center.
Source: UPI