Gau Cho Rong

Campfire stories claim gau cho rongs originated as the ghosts of poachers' prey come back for revenge, concocted minions of hags, or cursed beasts that became addicted to the flesh of children who wander where they're told not to. Known by the unsettling nickname of "hollow bears," gau cho rongs are easily mistaken for their good-natured cousin, the sun bear. Little more than 3 feet tall with long, lolling tongues, they resemble adorable little cubs when glutted but turn into terrors when they begin to hunger and hollow. The hungry gau cho rong's pelt goes slack until it appears little more than brittle bone in a sack of fur, like an old doll shucked of its filling. The hollow bears writhe and whimper, luring sympathetic victims or opportunistic hunters. As these targets approach, other gau cho rongs drop down from the boughs above on the backs and faces of their prey, their loose fur dulling most attacks as they rake victims with their long, hooked claws. Once they've finally eaten their fill, the gau cho rongs revert to their disarmingly endearing state. Thus continues their life of playing, hunting, lazing, slaying, romping, and rending.