China Giant Panda Center Responds to Cub's Suffocation Death: 'Never Seen This Before,' Will Conduct a One-by-One Check for Hazards
On April 10th, the China Giant Panda Protection Research Center announced that female giant panda 'Lu Lu Zi' at the Shenshiping Base died due to strangulation caused by the climbing net wrapping around its neck. On the 11th, the center accepted a exclusive interview with CCTV reporters.
Hotpoint One: Has a similar situation happened before?
China Giant Panda Protection Research Center Professor Huang Yan introduced that he has been engaged in giant panda research for 30 years, and he has never seen such a situation. He also felt very surprised. Because whether it is a wild giant panda or a captive giant panda, sometimes they will fall from trees or from a few meters high, and occasionally they will suffer injuries, but there has never been such a case, it is really a great pity.
Hotpoint Two: Why do giant pandas appear outdoors at night?
Why do giant pandas appear in the outdoor exercise field at night? Huang Yan introduced that the small door connecting the panda kindergarten enclosure and the exercise field is generally kept open, and the giant pandas are free to enter and exit. Keep in mind that the keepers generally do not interfere too much. Through the study of giant pandas, whether wild or captive, besides their activity during the day, they also have activity peaks at night. It is not exactly the same as human's routine. They don't sleep completely.
Hotpoint Three: How to plug the gaps in giant panda safety management?
Regarding the death of giant panda 'Lu Lu Zi', the Giant Panda Center expressed deep regret and responded: There is a certain gap in the giant panda's safety management. Currently, the climbing net device in the Shenshiping Base has been removed. Huang Yan said that exercising for giant pandas is beneficial for their growth and development, but it should also pay more attention to their safety and requirements should be higher. On the day of the incident, all four bases had begun to eliminate these hidden dangers, especially those with ropes, such as sharp objects and other items that could affect the safety of the pandas, one by one.
