Bear opens hotel door in China to look for food at reception where owner sleeps – Mothership.SG

A man was sleeping at the reception of his hotel in northwest China in the early hours of August 5 when he suddenly heard noises coming from the counter next to him, where he kept snacks and drinks.

However, upon opening his eyes, the man was shocked to discover that the intruder was a wild bear searching for food.

What happened

Speaking to Chinese media, the man, surnamed Zhang, said the bear entered his hotel in Golmud, Qinghai province, around 3 a.m. on August 5.

He did so after opening the front door, which was unlocked, “like a human,” Zhang said.

The scene was captured on a surveillance camera installed in the hotel, and the footage was later uploaded to Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok.

The bear went around the reception

Although Zhang was sleeping on a bed at the reception, the bear was not bothered by his presence and began to rummage around the desk and underneath.

When the bear couldn’t find anything to eat, it headed towards the counter, where it then snatched a can of drinks with its front paws.

After Zhang was awakened by the noise and noticed the bear, he immediately got out of bed, grabbed his phone from the desk and ran to the second floor, even as the bear continued to search with its head down, unfazed.

However, Zhang’s hasty departure did not trigger the bear’s instinct to chase him.

Instead, he simply turned around and stared at Zhang for about 5 seconds before walking out the front desk.

Person injured by bear

Local police confirmed to Chinese media that they had been alerted to the incident and officers were dispatched to the scene to chase away the bear.

During his visit, the bear only returned half of a bag of rice that Zhang was keeping at the reception.

No one was injured, Zhang said.

This is not the first time a bear has visited the area.

However, it seems that the bears are not only interested in Zhang’s hotel.

According to him, bears have been frequenting hotels in the area since 2023.

Recently, they also robbed a supermarket next to Zhang’s hotel, creating chaos in the beverage aisle.

Local authorities have also been notified of the bears’ sightings, Zhang added.

Bears around the world

Best images via @yizhitianmax44/Douyin

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