2026-06-25 09:01:08
A zoo in China has gone viral after advertising for someone to take on the £11,000-a-year role of being a bear to entertain guests.
The Luohe Wildlife Zoo in Luohe, in the Henan province, is looking for someone to wear a “soft” black bear costume to wander the grounds and interact with zoo visitors.
However, there is one catch – namely that they aren’t allowed to talk.
According to the South China Morning Post, the job advert states that the “bear” isn’t allowed to talk, and can only make purring sounds unless there’s an emergency or they need help.
The job is suitable for a person who is 18 years or older, is physically fit and can work six-hour shifts with four days off per month.
The zoo also encourages people to take on some quirky moves to keep zoogoers entertained – such as climbing trees or jumping.
They are quoted as saying in the job posting: “The more bizarre, the more popular you’ll be. 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.
“You can act in the most nonsensical ways. The more bizarre, the more popular you’ll be.
Candidates are also required to be “easy-going” about snacks, and they, as performers, are allowed to indulge in refreshments.
The job posting was designed to boost visitor numbers at the zoo, which only opened in May, and the zoo said that more than 100 people applied in a matter of days.
They also confirmed they’d filled all the job openings, although didn’t reveal how many people they had found.
Following the announcement, a spokesperson for the zoo told New Weekly magazine that if a candidate made a name for themselves on social media, they might be able to earn themselves more than the basic salary.
A spokesperson said: “This could represent a unique job opportunity for young people and help our zoo explore new avenues for revenue.”
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