Giant panda chases, attacks zoo keeper as visitors scream in Chongqing
Panda monium broke out at Chongqing Zoo in China after a keeper accidentally slammed the door of an enclosure on the paw of a panda, apparently causing it to chase and tackle her in a heart-stopping encounter that lasted around 40 seconds.
Several viral videos of the incident on Sept 19 show nine-year-old panda Ding Ding trying to get out of the enclosure and the female keeper shutting the door, which hits its paw briefly.
Seconds later, Ding Ding begins to chase its keeper, who is seen running away in the video and pushing back against the panda with her hands.
The keeper then falls, with Ding Ding quickly climbing on top of her and using its paws to grab at her. The panda also appears to bite the keeper.
Zoo visitors can be heard screaming and shouting as the attack plays out in front of them.
The panda stops its attack after the keeper uses her hands and legs to push it off.
In a statement on the social media platform Weibo, the zoo’s administration said that the incident happened at around 9.50 am.
“The keeper went to the hospital for medical treatment as soon as possible, and was found to be in good condition,” said the zoo in Chinese. “Zoo staff observed Ding Ding closely, and the panda ate and lived normally without showing any adverse reactions.”
The administration added that it will learn from this incident, and prevent similar incidents from happening again.
Ding Ding was reportedly born in the zoo on Aug 30, 2015.
In April, another keeper at the zoo was chased and tackled by twin pandas. The keeper was leading Yu Ke and Yu Ai to a feeding area when they chased and knocked her over, reported the South China Morning Post. The keeper managed to escape unscathed with the help of fellow zoo employees, and the pandas were also unharmed.
Sarah Koh
The Straits Times
Asia News Network
