Total panda-monium: The panda stopped the attack after the keeper used her hands and legs to push it off. — The Straits Times/ANN
Panda-monium broke out at Chongqing Zoo after a keeper accidentally slammed the door of an enclosure on the paw of a panda, triggering 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 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 and pushing back against the panda with her hands.
The keeper then loses her footing and 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 stopped after the keeper used her hands and legs to push it off.
In a statement on social media platform Weibo, the zoo’s administration said that the incident happened at around 9.50am.
“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 the statement.
“Zoo staff observed Ding Ding closely, and the panda ate and behaved 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.
Earlier 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. — The Straits Times/ANN
