Farmer raises adorable stray dog – turns out to be endangered BEAR

A CHINESE villager who thought he had adopted a stray puppy off the streets was shocked one day when he was told that the animal was in fact an endangered species of bear.

Wildlife authorities were called and the animal was confirmed to be an Asian black bear – a first-class state-protected species in China.

The unnamed farmer told officials that he came across the little black ball of fur several weeks ago.

He mistook it for a Kunming wolfdog, or Chinese wolfdog, an established breed from China which was previously used only in the military and which is now also kept as a household pet.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY: A farmer’s adopted puppy turned out to be an endangered bear

ENDANGERED: The Asian black bear is a first-class state-protected species in China

The "pup", as the farmer recalled, looked weak and thin, and the villager decided to adopt the starving "stray" and raise it as his own.

But days and weeks went by with the animal’s appetite only increasing, and the farmer’s pet soon began growing into an unfamiliar form, with remarkably dexterous front paws and no tail.

It was at this point that the man decided to contact local wildlife authorities, who immediately identified the animal as an Asian black bear, notable for an easily recognisable patch of white fur on its chest.

ADORABLE: The cub had been separated from its mum, and was nursed back to health by the farmer

The cub, which officials believe may have strayed from the nearby forests and become separated from its mother, would most likely have been killed or bred in secret by others if they had recognised its species.

But thankfully for the young bear, the farmer nursed it back to health, and officials were able to take the animal and send it to the local Dehong Prefecture Wildlife Shelter for breeding.

Reports said the cub will be kept there until it learns how to survive on its own in tough natural conditions, after which it will be released back into the forests.

Asian black bears, like the equally endangered giant pandas, are threatened by poaching, with their paws especially sought-after as a delicacy.

The capture, killing, breeding, and trading of the animals is strictly forbidden in China, with offenders facing up to 10 years in prison or – in the case of trafficking pandas – even death.