Public outcry follows video of panda being splashed by tourists
A video of a handicapped giant panda being splashed with water by tourists at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding on Friday aroused anger on social media.
In the video, Fu Wan escapes to a corner of her enclosure before a breeder shows up to comfort her and take her away.
"How can someone do this to such a lovely baby panda?" one netizen commented. Many said punishment should be levied on the tourists who did this.
However, the base wasn't able to identify the tourists since they left quickly after splashing Fu Wan.
The 7-month-old panda was born with congenital hindlimb weakness, meaning her hind legs are unable to support her body. Fu Wan has to drag her body using only her front legs, making the corner her safe haven since she can sit with the support of the walls.
After the incident, many called for better protection of the giant pandas. The base told the Beijing News measures such as more fences and setting up a black list for misconduct have been taken into consideration, and a protection plan will be released to the public in the near future.
As of Monday, the base posted on its official WeChat account reminding tourists to comply with the rules, keep quiet and do not feed the pandas during visits.