Do not give food to the pandas. That was the rule that seemed to have been broken by a man banned for life from one of the main panda centers in Chinaafter throwing “objects” unidentified persons to a compound on Monday.
The statement from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding did not identify the objects, although it said that feeding the animals could harm them and that the panda in question appeared to be in normal condition. The visitor was identified as a 53-year-old man surnamed Gao.
“In view of Gao’s uncivilized visit and his behavior that could harm the giant pandas, he is banned from entering the panda base (…) for life”the statement indicated.
The center has imposed lifetime bans on others for feeding pandas. A man who gave bamboo shoots to panda cubs in an activity zone and a woman who gave them peanuts were expelled last August.
Other visitors have been expelled for between one and five years for crimes such as throwing water at the pandas or hitting the pandas’ glass hard, according to media reports.
The giant panda has become a national symbol of China, and specimens are donated to zoos around the world. President Xi Jinping described them last year during a visit to the United States as “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American people.”
The breeding base in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province is a popular tourist destination. Last year, 34 pandas were born at two bases in Sichuan, including Chengdu. Some made a recent appearance this month within the celebrations of the Lunar New Year.
“The national treasury has strict dietary regulations,” wrote the base in his message, which asked visitors to be civil and set an example.
Source: Gestion
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