Topeka Zoo's Hoho the sun bear gains internet following for cute looks

TOPEKA (KSNT) - An animal at the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center is garnering national attention and love for his adorable appearance this month.

The Topeka Zoo is the home of Hoho the sun bear who went viral on the social media platform Instagram recently. A picture shared by the zoo of the 34-year-old Hoho has gained more than 170,000 likes and hundreds of comments on Instagram. Many are commenting on how cute he looks or are asking what's up with his appearance.

"He is one of the oldest sun bears in the United States and because of that you know he has some dental stuff, he had a tooth that we had to remove and so his tongue hangs out," said Shanna Simpson, animal curator at the Topeka Zoo. "And so he just has just a very adorable face."

The Malayan sun bear is the smallest species of bear in the world, usually weighing around 150 pounds, according to the Topeka Zoo. They are called sun bears due to their yellow chest markings which are said to resemble a setting sun. The bears are found in the wild in China, India and Indonesia.

If you want to check out the zoo's Instagram, click here. Learn more about what the zoo has to offer by visiting its website.

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