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Zoey Zhang

A panda keeper in China has been chased and tackled by two of the bears in her care, offering a stark reminder that the perfect job working with the happy-go-lucky creatures also has its challenges.
Twin pandas Yu Ke and Yu Ai are kept at Chongqing Zoo in southwestern China.
On April 23, a female keeper was leading the playful pair to a feeding area when they chased and knocked her over. She managed to escape with the help of colleagues.
Neither the woman nor the pandas were injured.
“Do not forget that pandas are predators. Some of the excessive cuteness-based promotion of pandas can mislead keepers and visitors,” said one online observer on Weibo.
“These two little cuties just wanted to play with their nanny. They have no concept of their weight or bite force, and surely knocking her over was not intentional,” another said.
The Post takes a closer look at China’s best-known animal.

Cuddly?
Despite their loveable demeanour, giant pandas are carnivores by nature, but have evolved into omnivores to adapt to their environment.
Because bamboo is so widely available in China and is high in protein like meat, it became a favourite food for pandas.
An adult giant panda can reach a length of 1.8m and weigh up to 150kg and the force of their bite makes them formidable predators.
According to China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration, 728 pandas currently live in captivity around the world, most of them in China. About 1,900 live in the wild.
Panda keeping position has become one of the most coveted jobs in China because of the opportunity to play with these fascinating creatures.
A facility in Jiangsu province in eastern China recruits keepers of giant pandas. Every year, hundreds of resumes are submitted, but the acceptance rate is zero, according to the Modern Express.
This is because the job has high benchmarks for professionalism, personality and observation skills.
Qualifications include a college degree or above, with a related major such as zoology, veterinary science or animal husbandry.
The average monthly salary is 6,000 yuan (US$850) and keepers are expected to work on public holidays.
There are also height and physical fitness requirements. Men must be at least 165cm tall, and women at least 158cm.
“You have to take care of the pandas’ food and drink, and its waste. A single panda can produce as much as 15kg of faeces per day,” one panda keeper said.
Risky business
Ma Tao, a keeper of giant pandas at Beijing Zoo with more than three decades of experience, said the job requires both boldness and meticulousness.

“You interact with the animals, allowing them to get familiar with you, and you also gradually become familiar with them. From their reactions, you can sense their state of mind – fear, alertness, or relaxation. You must read their body language,” Ma told the Shanghai Morning Post.
In December 2016, Wei Hua, a panda keeper in Sichuan province in southwestern China, was attacked by a giant panda that he had carefully cared for over several months.
The panda, Xi Mei, who was undergoing rewilding training, attacked her keeper when he came to visit, driven by her instinct to protect her cub.
Wei suffered injured ankles and broken wrists, and was left permanently disabled.
Despite his injuries, when the keeper woke up in hospital, he smiled at a photo of Xi Mei, because he believed the panda had gained the survival skills she needed to be able to return to the wild.
“Studying this field, I understand the habits of wild animals. I had prepared mentally for being attacked, and I had already forgiven Xi Mei,” Wei told the Xinhua News Agency.


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People & Culture

Panda keeping seen as desirable job, hundreds of CVs submitted each year
Bears grow to 1.8m, weigh 150kg, bite force makes them top predators


Caring for giant pandas might seem like a wonderful job, but it is not without its risks, as one keeper discovered when she was ploughed into by two of the creatures recently.


Pandas

Animals

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Explainer | Perfect job? Panda keeper chased, bitten by boisterous bears shows coveted role is more than just feeding and playing

Panda keeping seen as desirable job, hundreds of CVs submitted each year Bears grow to 1.8m, weigh 150kg, bite force makes them top predators

Panda keeping seen as desirable job, hundreds of CVs submitted each year

Bears grow to 1.8m, weigh 150kg, bite force makes them top predators