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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
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![Pandas are widely seen as cute and cuddly, but a fresh incident in which a keeper was chased and bitten by one, has shown that caring for the big bears carries significant risk. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/05/06/930b8e23-4fdc-4702-a166-e37714b572fa_6bc85e80.jpg?itok=3z25pxnk&v=1714972740)
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.
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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.
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