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To complete their family, a lot of people decide to adopt a dog, which is the most popular pet in the world. One family took the leap and decided to adopt a dog. They chose what they were told was a specialized breed, and they couldn't have been more excited about the newest addition to their family. However, as time went on, their excitement over their new puppy quickly turned to fear as they realized something unusual about their new pet.
A run-in with a man selling puppies would change everything.
Ready For A Dog
Su Yun and her family lived in a southwest Province in Kunming City, China. Su Yun was a hardworking mother who had a full life raising her two children with her husband. Although they were an average family, that was all about to change when Su Yun thought that the family was in need of a dog.
Little did the family know that this decision would change their lives forever, eventually making headlines, and in turn, making the family famous.
The Trip That Changed Everything
Raising young children can be exhausting, so sometimes it's necessary to take a vacation just to change things up. That's precisely what Su Yun did when she booked her family a long-awaited trip in 2016 that everyone was excited for.
With the day of their departure approaching, Su Yun made sure that she had everything ready for the family trip. However, no matter how much she prepared, some unplanned events were still bound to happen -- such as an encounter with puppies.
An Unexpected Occurrence
After months of anxiously waiting to go on their trip, the time finally came for their vacation. While enjoying their time away from home, Su Yun took her children on a walk when they happened to stumble upon a litter of puppies that were for sale.
Her children had been begging for a puppy for a long time, and Su Yun's heart melted when she saw the puppies that were up for adoption. So, she decided it was time and gave in.
She would soon learn that maybe she should have been more patient.
She Was Given A Warning
After purchasing the puppy, the man who sold the dog to Su Yun and her family gave her some background about the dog that they had adopted. The seller warned that the dog was a Tibetan Mastiff, a breed of dog that can reach 180 pounds and stand over two feet tall!
Regardless, the family still decided to adopt the puppy and named him Little Black because of his black fur and how big he would eventually be.
They had no idea how big it would actually become.
They Adored Their New Family Member
For the rest of their vacation, the family fell in love with Little Black and were excited to show him his new home. When they got home, they had a few decisions about how they were going to raise their new pet.
The climate in Kunming City made it possible for some pets to live outside, so they had to decide if they wanted Little Black to be an indoor or outdoor dog.
The decision wasn't easy.
They Wanted To Keep Him Close
In the end, the family decided that they wanted to raise Little Black as an indoor dog in order to keep him as close to the family as possible.
As Little Black slowly grew, the family soon learned that he had quite the appetite for such a small dog. However, Little Black seemed to be adjusting to his new home just fine so the family didn't think that they had anything to worry about.
That was until they started noticing some strange behaviors.
Insatiable Hunger
Much like the seller had promised, Little Black did not stay small for very long. On top of that, they couldn't help but notice that their new dog had an insatiable appetite.
Although they know that puppies need food to grow, they had no idea that Little Black would eat this much food, and its diet was beyond strange. Every day, Little Black would easily eat an entire box of fruit and two whole buckets of noodles!
Little Black's Eating Became A Problem
For most other dogs, eating so much fruit and noodles each day would probably make them extremely sick. However, Little Black seemed completely unaffected by his diet, and if anything would eat more if he could.
At this point, things were starting to get out of control, and the family began to suspect that something was wrong. By the time Little Black was just one year old, Su Yun had already spent a fortune on all of his food.
Little did they know this would be the least of their worries.
He Kept Growing
As time passed, Little Black continued to grow, as well as his appetite. At first, the family was only concerned by how much Little Black was eating; now they were starting to question his size too!
The family had known that their dog was going to be big, but they were completely unprepared for how big he was actually getting. When he was three years old, Little Black was over 250 pounds and stood over three feet tall.
The family started to notice other things too.
Su Yun Saw Something Strange In The Kitchen
Although it's not entirely unusual for dogs to be bigger than the average size for their breed, there were other hints that maybe Little Black wasn't what they thought. On one occasion, Su Yun saw something in the kitchen that she couldn't ignore.
She saw Little Black standing on his hind legs like a human might. It was at that moment that Su Yun knew that there was something seriously wrong about Little Black and she needed to find out what it was.
Looking For Other Clues
Incredibly, Su Yun seeing Little Black standing on his hind legs wasn't a one-time occurrence. More and more, she would encounter the pet standing up, and it really started to scare her.
She started studying the dog to see if anything else strange was happening. She also noticed that the dog's teeth were proportionate to his size and that as Little Black grew, his snout was becoming more prominent than a typical Tibetan Mastiff's would.
However, she was in denial about the whole situation.
He Became Too Big For The House
As Su Yun became more concerned about their pet, her children were enjoying all of the attention they were getting for having the biggest dog around. Slowly, word spread about the unique dog in the neighborhood.
However, it got to the point that Little Black was so big that there was no room for him inside the house. So, the family had to build a makeshift shelter in the backyard for him. But this didn't solve any of their problems.
He Had Behavioral Changes
While Little Black's teeth, snout, and size were all indicators that something was off, what was really scary was how much more aggressive he had become. Luckily, no one was hurt, but Little Black began lashing out at Su Yun and her family.
It was around this time that Su Yun also realized that she had never heard Little Black bark, and the only noises that it made sounded like a roar, unlike any sound most dogs would make.
Su Yun Was Fearful
By the time Little Black was two years old, Su Yun had become afraid of him. Even though he was living outside due to his size, he made her feel incredibly uneasy. By this time, Su Yun could barely even get Little Black on a leash to go for a walk.
Concerned for her family, Su Yun took to the Internet to try and learn more about the dog she had adopted, convinced that she didn't have an ordinary pet.
What she learned changed everything.
Learning The Truth
After investigating Little Black's abnormally sized teeth, weight, and his ability to stand on its hind legs, Su Yun was shocked by what she learned. She discovered that what she thought was supposed to be a Tibetan Mastiff was something else entirely.
It turns out that the adorable puppy she had adopted was actually a black bear! Stunned, she didn't know what to do with this information, but she knew she had to do something to protect her family.
Not An Ordinary Black Bear
Upon further research, Su Yun learned that the bear they once thought was a dog wasn't just any ordinary black bear. Little Black was actually an Asiatic Black Bear which is also frequently called a Tibetan Bear or a Himalayan Bear.
This specific breed of bear is known to only grow to a medium size, which is why the family assumed it was a dog for so long. But still, these bears can reach 440 pounds and stand over six feet tall!
A Tricky Situation
Thankfully, Asiatic Bears like Little Black aren't carnivorous, and their diet mostly consists of plants. However, they have been known to become aggressive towards humans, especially if aggravated. Luckily, no one in Su Yun's family had been harmed by Little Black yet.
Regardless, Su Yun knew that she had to do something about the situation, especially considering that owning a bear in China could result in a jail sentence. Su Yun knew she had a serious problem on her hands.
Calling The Professionals
Although Su Yun and her family had grown to love their pet, she knew that their home was no place for a bear. She knew that she needed to have the bear removed, but she didn't even know where to start.
Her first thought was to call the local zoo to see if maybe they could take Little Black. Unfortunately, without a birth certificate, there was no way that the zoo could take the animal in.
Informing The Authorities
At this point, even though she was nervous, Su Yun decided to call the police. After all, she hadn't bought a bear intentionally and was misled to believe that it was a Tibetan Mastiff.
Also, she hadn't abused Little Black in any way, and if anything, had provided it with the best home that she could, considering the circumstances. After making the call, the police and wildlife experts at the Forest Public Security Bureau were there in minutes.
Telling Her Story
When the authorities arrived, Su Yun explained her side of the story and answered any questions that they had. In an interview, she claimed, "the more [Little Black] grew, the more like a bear he looked [...]" and that she was scared of bears.
After hearing what Su Yun had to say, they made their way to the backyard and were speechless by what they found.
Nobody knew how serious the situation actually was.
The Officials Were Shocked
Upon arriving in the backyard, the police and forestry officials were confronted with what Su Yun had been living with, a giant animal sitting in a caged area. Just by looking at it, everyone knew that it wasn't a dog, and after inspecting the animal, concluded that he was in fact, a bear.
They then began to as Su Yun questions about where she adopted Little Black, how she raised him, and why it took so long for her to figure it out.
Handling The Situation
While the police were gathering more information about how Su Yun and her family accidentally adopted a bear, the wildlife experts got to work looking after Little Black. The experts checked to make sure that the bear was in good health and hadn't sustained any injuries or was malnourished.
Of course, Su Yun waited nervously to see if she would be punished for having a bear living at her home. She hoped that everyone would understand the situation.
Everything Checked Out
After a quick check-up on Little Black, the wildlife experts occluded that the bear was well-fed, healthy, and actually happy with its current situation.
However, now they had to figure out how they were going to transfer Little Black to the nearby wildlife rescue center. They concluded that the best solution would be to tranquilize him so that he could be transported safely.
While all this was happening, Su Yun was still worried about the consequences.
All Eyes Were On Su Yun
After Little Black had been transported to the wildlife center, Su Yun's fears became a reality. The fact that she had unknowingly kept a potentially dangerous bear in her backyard sparked a lot of controversy.
Su Yun was soon all over the news with people wondering how she mistook a bear for a dog. When National Geographic reported on the story it became a viral sensation with other people coming forward claiming that they had adopted the wrong animal as well.
The Verdict
Su Yun continued to cooperate with the police, which greatly helped her out in the long run. Although Asiatic Bears are a protected species in China, Su Yun was able to avoid jail time and was assured any penalty she might receive would be reduced for her help.
Although it was a huge ordeal for the family and Little Black, everything worked out in the end for everyone. Little Black had a new home suitable for him, and the family no longer had a bear in their yard. Su Yun and her family miss their former pet and hope to be reunited with him someday.